This won’t make sense unless you’re an Episcopalian and aware of what we call “the current unpleasantness.” The Primates’ Meeting of the worldwide Anglican Communion is taking place in Tanzania, and the big issue is as always the American Episcopal Church’s progressive and inclusive attitude towards gays and gay clergy.
Davis Mac-Iyalla is a gay activist from Nigeria, home of the ultra-conservative Archbishop Peter Akinola. Nigeria is looking to pass some laws that would make it a crime for gays to meet in public, even for socializing. The ultra-conservatives use gay issues to turn up the heat under a constantly simmering pot of old resentments.
The reporters keep saying it came to a head in 2003, when V. Gene Robinson was elected Bishop of New Hampshire (and sustained by a majority of bishops and dioceses). But there were disaffected conservative parishes and dioceses for decades before that – gays are just the latest wrinkle. Before that, it was the new prayer book. Before that, it was female clergy. Before THAT, it was the Civil Rights movement (the conservatives were against that sort of thing).
Personall, I think they haven’t been completely happy since before the Civil War.
Really, it’s about power and property, but they say it’s about Biblical inerrancy and literalism (a concept foreign to classical Anglicanism, which requires faith and Scripture to be considered in the light of reason).
Mr Mac-Iyalla has suffered for his activism in his native country, enduring slanderous attacks in the country’s press and trumped-up legal problems. Here, he looks happy, confident, and comfortable with himself. The photo was taken by Scott Gunn, who is blogging from the sidelines of the conference, attending daily news conferences on behalf of an Episcopal gay-rights group he represents called InclusiveChurch.net.
Via: Flickr Title: Mac-Iyalla with a newspaper and a story about him By: scottgunn
Originally uploaded: 15 Feb ’07, 2.41pm CST PST
Davis Mac-Iyalla of Nigeria holds today’s The Citizen of Dar es Salaam. The paper features a front page story about the struggle for gay rights, and it includes several quotes from Davis.