ABSTRACT
O n S e p t e m b e r 5, 1969, in Laforet, Colorado, a man nam ed James Stoll made history. H e died twenty-five years later in comfortable obscu rity, surrounded by friends and family, yet unknown to legions who bene fited from his courage. The Reverend James Stoll was the first minister o f any American religious denom ination, and probably in the world, to publicly admit his homosexuality.1 Stoll was a m inister o f the Unitarian Universalist Association-known as the Unitarians-and his act was the first o f many that came to mark the Unitarians as the country’s m ost accepting, welcoming denom ination for homosexuals. The Unitarians were first to have an openly gay minister; first officially to condem n dis crimination against homosexuals; and first to take official church stances on m atters o f especial importance to the gay and lesbian community.2 After Stoll’s com ing out, gay Unitarians soon organized into a caucus
I have, in researching and writing this article, enjoyed the support of the Mellon Fund and the Russell Trust; the advice of Jon Butler; and the generous assistance of Tandi Huelsbeck, Robert Wheatley, Richard Nash, Skip Ward, Daniel J. Oppenheimer, and Douglas R. McKay.
