Bible Turned Upside Down In Lagos ChurchSeptember 12, 2008 15:42, 3,901 views
By Lois Okereke, Ejiro Ejekukor, Simon Ateba & Tokunbo Olajide
A ‘church,’ where gay people worship, has been discovered at an Isolo, Lagos, neighbourhood.
The ministry, House of Rainbow, operates from a two-bedroom apartment in Block 145, Jakande Estate, at the Oke Afa area of Isolo. Scores of homosexuals, bisexuals, lesbians, and ‘transgender’ people regularly congregate at the assembly, touted as the first gay church ever in Nigeria.
Rowland Jide Macaulay, a 42-year-old self-professed ‘reverend’ and UK-trained lawyer, presides over the ministry, attended mainly by top fashion designers, models, celebrities, activists, among others.
pmnews-cover-12-sept-2008.jpgDuring his regular sermons, Macaulay misinterprets the bible, by quoting several portions to justify the practice of homosexuality and bisexuality, which the holy book abhors.
The preacher, who wears rough curls, and dresses flamboyantly, maintains always that being gay is “totally acceptable in God’s sight.”
Also, during singing sessions, the church’s choir changes lyrics of popular christian songs to suit their doctrine.
For instance, a song: “God will give christians everything in double folds” is changed by the gay church to: “God will give us (gay) partners in double folds.”
For the two-year-old gay ministry, Macaulay has a special mission: to draw about 14 million gay people, he claims exist in the country, to the fold.
The gay ministry also plans to further promote the movement, with its plan to sponsor five interested people to study theology, in line with the gay doctrine.
The startling revelation is the outcome of four weeks of undercover coverage of the church’s activities by a team of P.M.News reporters.
On 11 May, when he was one of the guests at a recorded television show called Moment With Mo, anchored by Mo Abudu, at the City Mall Studio, Onikan, Lagos, the self-acclaimed man of God shocked Nigerians when he declared that homosexuality is not against the bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The gay pastor and several other homosexuals and lesbians in the studio on that day took two good hours explaining comfortably to Nigerians that being homosexual does not make one a sinner. Reverend Macaulay disclosed that he has been a gay since he was 14 years old and had several intercourse with different men.
When asked if the bible does not preach against sodomy, the act of having sex with another man through the anus, the “man of God” said it was not in the bible.
He said the case of sodomy in the bible is an isolated one and must not be taken out of context. He admitted that he practices sodomy and was comfortable with it as a gay. He further explained that marriage in the bible has nothing to do with sexual orientation, but love and trust. Macaulay disclosed that he is a trustworthy gay.
The gay “man of God” explained that he does not feel attracted to women no matter how beautifully they may look, but on the contrary, has strong feelings for handsome men.
While other gays and lesbians in the television studio did not want their faces to appear on television, Macaulay said he is happy being the face of the faceless. After the television show, Reverend Macaulay told P.M.News that he is bold to talk about his homosexuality because “that is who I am.”
Another young lesbian, who did not want her face to appear on television, said she was introduced to lesbianism by a female friend at a tender age. She disclosed that she has dated many girls and had sex with most of them. She also said she has strong feelings for girls and does not feel same for men.
When asked if she would like to quit lesbianism, she said never. She added that now that she is a lesbian, she can never become heterosexual again. The City Mall edifice, on 11 May, looked like a rendezvous for gays with several homosexuals and lesbians freely and openly holding hands and kissing in public

DON'T ASK DON'T TELL

DON’T ASK DON’T TELL: CULTURE OF SILENCE AND AVOIDANCE IN AFRICAN COMMUNITY
A month has passed since I started this blog and posted the first message, in form of my objectives and the invitational poetic message. I introduced the blog only on my profile in the facebook. Record show that thirteen people viewed my blog profile, which they got to by first reading the objective and the poem. Surprisingly, no one left a comment online about their views and feelings regarding the objective of the blog. Too bad! (Please readers, leave your footprints.) Despite people’s angelic passage, interestingly, two Africans at different locations, had dialogue with me though behind the mask about the objective of the blog. We discussed deep issues affecting us in common: The fact that there was no one to talk to with hope of been heard and understood featured in our dialogues. Are Africans guilty of “culture of silence”? What of the African gay community? Are they getting swallowed in conspiracy of silence too? What is scary about discussing human sexuality openly, especially when the impact of societal reaction is adversely affecting a particular set of people for no just reason?
I know taboo is part of Africans traditions and cultures, but I have not known one taboo prohibiting this type of discussion because wild sexual jokes and actions are rampant in the same African society. Yet serious sexual conversation is so rare, like it is ruled by taboo. How do we break this strong tie to taboo? The fact is that the issue is HOMOSEXUALITY; many believe it is unAfrican, inhuman, unbiblical and unimaginable. Hence it is a taboo to African discussion arena. Instead the Gambia President threatened “beheading” as a substitute of conversation and many other African countries wrote laws and built jails instead of open conversations, critical thinking, scientific investigation and understanding of the plight of the silenced gay community and their suffering family. Hence, I say don’t ask don’t tell rule discussion on homosexuality in Africa. That is where the taboo is found.
The poem posted below bellows what I think taboo and culture of silence does for African leaders and even the black community as a whole:
DON’T ASK DON’T TELL
Taboo is part of life
Where I came from
Tool of the dominants.
Keeps subjects in check.
Robes life with fear
To stay family statuesque.
Sets the forest scary to visit
Even for elephant hunters.
Frightens the knights of the night
It paralyzes even the strongest.
Like huge ocean
Taboos keep people at bay
Health
Wealth
Sex
Quest for knowledge
And many more
Corban to taboo
Who dare breach taboo?
Who will swim the length of the sea?
“Of don’t ask don’t tell.”?
But the brave will tell
The scared should scream!
©Demola Adewoye 07/19/2008