Name
Dennis Barrett
Biography
Dennis Barrett was born into a religiously conservative family in 1948. He realized that he was gay while participating in his church’s music program. Barrett attended Kentucky State University and received a degree in Music Education. He taught for three years before moving to Idaho where he joined the Metropolitan Community Church. He officially came out in his late 20’s and became active in the establishment of a gay community in Boise. He was one of the founders of The Community Center and worked there for 8 years. He was also editor of “The Paper” for 6 years. The main goal of The Community Center and “The Paper” was to help others in the coming out process. Barrett worked in home healthcare/hospice for 20 years before retiring and settling in Star, Idaho.
Keywords
Baptist, Shuckey’s, “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell, ” Adam Lambert, conservative, “The Paper”
Interview Date
11-30-2011
Interview Duration
30:07
City
Boise
Rights Management
This material is copyrighted by Special Collections and Archives, Boise State University
Disciplines
Community-Based Research | Gender and Sexuality | History of Gender | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Oral History | Sociology | United States History