Unitarian Universalists elect first woman of color, openly queer president
Sofía Betancourt in front of the Supreme Court in 2022. (RNS photo by Jack Jenkins)
A womanist theologian, ethicist, and minister was installed as the 10th president of the Unitarian Universalist Association on June 25, following an uncontested election in which she secured 95.5 percent of the vote. She is both the first openly queer person and first woman of color to lead the faith tradition and will serve a six-year term.
The child of parents from Panamá and Chile, Sofía Betancourt has been a national leader in the UUA for more than two decades. Though her predecessor, Susan Frederick-Gray, was the first woman elected to the UUA presidency, Betancourt was technically the first woman to hold the title. In 2017, she was tapped to become interim co-president of the UUA when Peter Morales resigned amid controversy over racial disparities in UUA hiring practices.
“I am thrilled for the theological depth that she will bring,” Frederick-Gray said in an interview. “I think she will bring a depth of moral clarity and a pastoral presence that is still so needed in our world.”
