On Sunday, June 24, Nigerian activist Davis Mac-Iyalla will join the Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus and other members of the Diocese of California at San Francisco’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Pride Parade (Pride). Mac-Iyalla is the director of Changing Attitude Nigeria (CAN), a branch of the activist network Changing Attitude, which works for LGBT affirmation in the Anglican Communion. While Pride is in its 37th year of educating, celebrating, commemorating, and liberating LGBT people, Mac-Iyalla’s quest for recognition of LGBT people in the Anglican Church of Nigeria has only just begun, and it seems he has a long road ahead of him.

Mac-Iyalla, who was baptized in the Church of Nigeria, served as a lay reader and knight under Bishop Ugede of Otukpo. Having come out to himself at 14, his disinterest in dating women posed little problem, because laws against homosexuality in Nigeria were rarely enforced. But in 2003 Gene Robinson was confirmed as a bishop in New Hampshire and the Canadian church opted to bless same-sex unions, events that Archbishop of Nigeria Peter Akinola vehemently objected to. To make matters worse, Bishop Ugede died, leaving Mac-Iyalla without a mentor and protector. In July of 2003, Mac-Iyalla was forced to leave his position as principal of an Anglican school -- he believes because he is gay -- prompting him to become an activist and establish CAN.
 

Mac-Iyalla and other members of CAN had their first General Meeting in October 2005, despite the mounting hostility toward LGBT people in Nigeria. They were arrested when police officers found literature about the meetings in their car. Even being kicked in the head and held for several days without being formally charged or taken to see a judge did not deter Mac-Iyalla from his work. He continued to speak out in opposition to the Church’s stance on homosexuality.

In response, the Church of Nigeria tried to discredit Mac-Iyalla, issuing a press release alleging that he was “NOT registered in any of our over 10,000 local parishes as of the past two years” and had defrauded the church by promising to marry Bishop Ugede’s daughter, gaining access to church documents, and then absconding with “large sums of money” when the bishop died. Changing Attitude has refuted the allegations that Mac-Iyalla promised to marry the bishop’s daughter or defrauded the church and has posted copies of his church membership card and photos of him in his knight’s uniform to prove his active membership in the church.

Despite the bad blood between them, Mac-Iyalla has been partially successful at getting Akinola’s attention. In February 2007 Mac-Iyalla went to the Primates meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to greet the Primates. According to Changing Attitude, he introduced himself to Akinola and spoke about times they had met previously and the founding of CAN. Akinola reportedly remembered who Mac-Iyalla was and thanked him. He jokingly asked if Mac-Iyalla was officially invited to the meeting. Mac-Iyalla replied no, he is not a Primate. Mac-Iyalla says of the meeting, “I came to Tanzania hoping I would be given the opportunity to meet my own Primate and I am very happy now to have met him and been warmly greeted by him. My Archbishop is now aware that I am here, representing Nigerian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Anglicans.”

For Mac-Iyalla, it is a struggle just to get Nigerians to acknowledge the existence of LGBT people. But despite the animosity of the Church of Nigeria, Mac-Iyalla views the Anglican Church as an ally in the campaign. He says, “Let society change their attitudes towards gays and lesbians. You have them in every sector in Nigeria, even in government. It is just that they are hidden because of the contempt the society has for them and it is the Church that can lead the campaign for the change of attitude towards us.”

Mac-Iyalla is in the US on a 20-city tour ending in July sponsored by dailyoffice.org and coordinated by Josh Thomas. On June 13 he addressed the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council as an invited guest of the National Concerns Committee, asking for their support in opposing a Nigerian bill that would criminalize homosexuality and those who associate with gay and lesbian people. He pointed out that the bill would prevent gay and lesbian participation in the Anglican Church of Nigeria and would therefore stifle the Anglican Communion’s Listening Process on LGBT inclusion. On June 19 he met with the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson at Holy Apostles in New York.

Mac-Iyalla's trip to the Bay Area is facilitated by Oasis California. During the Pride Parade he will ride with Bishop Marc in an open car. It is the first time a bishop of the Diocese of California has participated in the parade. Mac-Iyalla will also attend a 4:00 p.m. Eucharist with Bishop Marc presiding at St. John the Evangelist, San Francisco, on Sunday afternoon, followed by a reception where he will tell his story and answer questions. On Monday evening, Bishop Marc and Sheila Andrus will host a $100 per person fundraiser for Mac-Iyalla and CAN. Mac-Iyalla will meet informally with seminarians at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific on Tuesday. His US tour ends in early July, when he will visit England.