Ellen Barrett

Ellen Marie Barrett (born February 10, 1946) is an American priest of the Episcopal Church. She was the first open lesbian to be ordained to the priesthood following the Episcopal Church's General Convention approval of the ordination of women in 1977. Barrett's candor about her homosexuality caused great controversy within the church. Even prior to her ordination, she was a prominent spokesperson for the rights of gays and lesbians in the church, especially regarding their ordination. Early life and ordination Barret was born in Lawrence, Kansas. Her parents were Linton Lomas Barrett and Marie Hamilton McDavid. She converted to Catholicism as a young woman, then reverted to the Episcopal Church after several years. Prior to her ordination to the priesthood, she served as a deacon in the New York diocese. She was a founding member and the first co-president of Integrity, a group formed to advocate for the full participation of lesbians, gays and bisexuals in the church. Her record at the General Theological Seminary was considered exemplary and she was well-regarded academically, professionally and spiritually by the faculty. Barrett was ordained a deacon in 1975 at St. Peter's Church, Chelsea, New York City. She was later ordained as a priest in 1977 by Bishop Paul Moore at the Church of the Holy Apostles. Bishop Moore was aware of her sexual orientation and did not feel it should prohibit her from ordination. He was strongly convinced that her commitment to a vocation far outweighed her commitment to the "gay movement" or any other conflicting interests. Personal views Barrett drew upon the example of Rosa Parks, finding it as apt for feminism as for civil rights, stating: "I remember Mrs. Rosa Parks' answer about why she sat down that day on that bus: 'I don't know, just tired I guess.' Yes, tired.... Tired of being second-class, good girl, virgin–whore, defective by nature. Tired of being told that the omnipotent God can't call me to the priesthood."