Nigerian gay reverend and activist Jide Macaulay has a message for gay people in celebration of the annual LGBT Pride Month in June.
Jide Macaulay who founded the first gay church in Nigeria called House of Rainbow had a chat with HuffPost UK where he spoke about reconciling faith and sexuality.
He told listeners that he believed the word “GAY” means “God Adores You”.
Mr Macaulay whose full name is Rowland Ayoola Babajide Macaulay said:
“Over the years, G-A-Y has become powerful for me and as a person of faith, I believe that G-A-Y means God Accepts You, God Adores You, God Anoints You and God Assured You – I just want everyone to celebrate that.”
Reverend Jide Macaulay is one of the most well known gay activists from Nigeria. Between 2005 and 2006, Jide Macaulay opened the first gay church in Nigeria called House of Rainbow.
The ministry was supposed to be welcoming and totally accepting worship place for members of the LGBT community in the country. But it did not last – two years after, Jide Macaulay was forced to flee Nigeria after he came out as gay in local media. House of Rainbow church was shut down by the government.
The church continued to exist, but with no physical address in Nigeria.
Last year (2019), 54-year-old Jide Macaulay was ordained an Anglican priest by the Church of England.
