Nigerian gay activist brings message to Episcopal Church
Episcopal News Service. May 25, 2007 [052507-03]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
Nigerian Anglican Davis Mac-Iyalla, 33, founder of his country's only gay-rights organization, Changing Attitude Nigeria, has embarked on a six-week speaking tour of the United States.
Among his stops will be the Episcopal Church's Executive Council June 11-14 meeting in Parsippany, New Jersey. He will be an invited guest of the Council's National Concerns Committee.
Mac-Iyalla will visit about 20 cities and participate in 52 events before departing July 5 to attend the General Synod of the Church of England. His tour is being sponsored by dailyoffice.org which was founded by Josh Thomas primarily as a means of supplying the Daily Office of prayer to internet users.
Mac-Iyalla spoke at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio, on May 21 and visited Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland on May 23. He also spoke at a dinner May 26 at Church of Our Saviour in Cincinnati, Ohio and preached at the congregation's 10:30 a.m. Eucharist on Pentecost the next day.
Since founding Changing Attitude-Nigeria, Mac-Iyalla has been fired from his job as a school principal, suffered ostracism from family and friends, been arrested, threatened with kidnapping and death, and denied communion, according to media releases about his visit to the U.S. Prior to publicly declaring his homosexuality, he was an active and deeply involved member of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, was accorded the honor of "knight" of the church and was a lay reader, according to one of media releases.
Mac-Iyalla's schedule calls for him to visit congregations and various organizations in Illinois, where he will meet with Chicago Bishop William Persell, and North Carolina before coming to New Jersey. After the Executive Council meeting, he is scheduled to go to visit congregations in New York, New Jersey, California, Arizona and Texas.
While in New York, among his appearances will be one on June 19 with New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson at Church of the Holy Apostles in New York City. In California, Mac-Iyalla is scheduled to march June 24 in San Francisco's Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade with California Bishop Marc Andrus. In Arizona, Mac-Iyalla is due to meet with Bishop Kirk Smith, among others.
More information about Mac-Iyalla's tour is available here. A complete schedule is available here.