SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) – Defying Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teaching, two California congregations and one in Minnesota have hired openly gay pastors.

The Rev. Jennifer Mason has been called as associate pastor by San Bernardino’s Central City Lutheran Mission. On May 2, Hollywood Lutheran Church in Los Angeles will install the Rev. Daniel M. Hooper. And in Minneapolis, Bethany Lutheran Church will install the Rev. Jay Wiesner July 25.

The Lutheran denomination, with 5 million members, ordains gays and lesbians but policy requires them to be celibate. Mason and Hooper were removed from the clergy roster after informing the church they were in committed same-sex relationships.

Bishop Murray Finck said he was surprised by Mason’s call and urged the congregation to reconsider.

Next year’s denominational meeting will debate a new gay and lesbian policy report.

A decade ago, the denomination expelled two San Francisco congregations for appointing clergy living in same-sex relationships. Since then, more than a dozen congregations have done the same, without penalty.

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) – Three heterosexual couples said they were turned away from a hotel in this gay-friendly tourist destination because of their sexual orientation, which would violate city law.

The six were vacationing with a gay couple and had reservations at Big Ruby’s in downtown Key West when the three straight couples were turned away.

“The manager literally said, ‘We don’t want you here,’” said Jim Pirih, who had vacationed at Big Ruby’s last year with his partner, Jason Williams.

The group, most of whom are from San Diego, were already settled in their rooms when the manager told the straight couples they would have to leave, citing a policy of not allowing heterosexuals on the property, Pirih said.

“He said he had to appeal to the majority, and the majority of guests wouldn’t want straight people there,” Pirih said.

The six were allowed to stay one night, but had to check out the next morning and were told they wouldn’t be compensated for the inconvenience, Pirih said.

Big Ruby’s did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Key West has a city ordinance that prohibits discrimination by sexual orientation in housing and lodging. Violators can face a civil citation and be fined up to $500.

Scott Fraser, executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Key West, said any discrimination based on sexual orientation is wrong.

“Whether it’s a couple turned away from a place of business because they’re gay, or a straight couple refused admittance because it’s a gay facility, socially and legally that’s discrimination and equally as unacceptable,” Fraser said.

Florida law allows a clothing-optional resort to be gender exclusive and prohibit children.

Members of the Key West Business Guild, which is dedicated to supporting the gay and lesbian market, have showered the group with gifts including a bottle of champagne, dinners at several Key West restaurants, sunset sailing excursions and free cocktails and a drag performance at a local club.

The couples were kicked out the same day six same-sex couples sued in Key West in an attempt to overturn state laws banning same-sex marriage. A similar lawsuit was filed in Fort Lauderdale in February, and court challenges are underway in six other states.

BALTIMORE (AP) – The president of a hospital that gave patients hundreds of suspect HIV and hepatitis C tests has resigned, along with two doctors who managed the hospital’s laboratory, officials announced.

Timothy D. Miller stepped down from the helm of Maryland General Hospital, where more than 400 patients may have received incorrect test results during a 14-month period ending in August.

A former hospital lab worker notified city officials last year of problems. Inspectors determined workers manipulated and eliminated machine readings showing that blood tests might be inaccurate and should be discarded.

The hospital is trying to find and retest all patients who received the suspect tests.

Miller said he believed the hospital’s medical staff has worked diligently to address shortcomings in the lab. “I firmly believe, however, that my resignation is necessary in order to help the hospital move forward in restoring the full faith and confidence of the entire community in the institution,” he said in a statement.

The hospital also announced the resignations of Dr. Philip Whelan, lab director and head of the pathology department, and Dr. James Stewart, the lab’s administrative director.

The former lab worker who first reported the problems, Kristin Turner, has said thousands of people could have received faulty test results.

She blamed the machine used in blood tests for an accident in which she contracted HIV and hepatitis C. She has sued the hospital and the company that makes the machine, seeking $30 million in damages.

BOSTON (AP) – A group that opposes same-sex marriage has enlisted the help of a state legislator in a long-shot attempt to remove the four justices of the state’s high court who ruled that banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, unless they reverse their decision.

Rep. Emile J. Goguen, D-Fitchburg, is the measure’s only sponsor.

He sees the “bill of address” as a way to pressure members of the Supreme Judicial Court to reconsider their 4-3 decision, or risk removal from the bench.

Goguen, who voted against a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage but allow civil unions, said he agreed to sponsor the measure after he was approached by members of the Article 8 Alliance, a group that opposes same-sex marriage.

Goguen said he hopes the measure would pressure the court to reconsider its ruling or nullify it.

Rep. James J. Marzilli Jr., D-Arlington, supports same-sex marriage and said the bill of address is a “purely political” strategy with “absolutely no hope of passage.”

The state constitution allows for the removal of judges, but it is rarely exercised and rarely successful.

Article 8 coordinator Brian Camenker said his research shows that the last time an SJC judge was removed was 1803, while the last failed attempt was in 1922.

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) – The Sandoval County Republican Party’s central committee, saying county Clerk Victoria Dunlap “has brought disgrace to the party,” voted to censure her for issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

“Other than assassination, all we can do is censure her,” said committee chairman Richard Gibbs.

All but one of the 20 Republicans who attended the meeting voted to censure Dunlap.

The censure vote came after the party was unable to put together enough support for an attempted recall of Dunlap. A censure is largely symbolic, expressing disapproval with a member’s actions.

The vote came a month after Dunlap announced she intended to continue issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Todd Hathorne, who wrote the censure resolution, said Dunlap violated her oath of office by interpreting the law and not upholding it.

“She only has ministerial duties,” he said. “She is nothing more than a cop with a pen when it comes to records.”

The lone Republican who voted against censure, Barry Bitzer, said he worried that people would view the vote as an attempt to exclude people from the Republican Party.

“I’m afraid this will be played as a gay issue and not a good government issue,” he told the committee.

“We need to make clear we don’t support her actions, we don’t support her now and we will never support her in the future,” said former Rio Rancho City Councilor Lonnie Clayton. “The perception is that our silence is consent.”

DAYTON, Tenn. (AP) – Five weeks after county commissioners voted to outlaw homosexuality and then changed their minds, describing the vote as a verbal misunderstanding, they decided to put all such statements in writing before taking any vote.

Unlike the March 18 reversal that attracted a raucous, divided crowd of about 300 spectators to the Rhea County Courthouse best known as the site of the 1925 Scopes monkey trial, about 25 people turned out for a quiet meeting that included the rule change.

Commission Chairman Terry Broyles, who opened the meeting with a request for everyone to “respect everyone else’s opinion,” sat with seven other commissioners as one constituent described their ban on gays and lesbians as “stupid,” another demanded their resignations and another commended their action, saying it is supported by the Bible.

Broyles declined to say if requiring written motions before votes stemmed from the uproar over the vote to ban gays and lesbians.

“It’s just a clarification ... an effort to do things better,” Broyles said.

Broyles said commissioners want to put the “unfortunate situation” behind them.

Commissioner J.C. Fugate, whose verbal motion to ban homosexuals from Rhea County and “if they are caught living together as such – that they be tried for crimes against nature,” declined comment.