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Nigerian
gay activist brings message to Episcopal Church, Executive Council
25 May 2007-
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 dailoffice.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 Churh
in Columbus, Ohio, on May 21 and visited Trinity Episcopal Church in
Columbus on May 23. He is due to speak at a dinner May 26 at Church of
Our Saviour in Cincinnati, Ohio and then preach 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.
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