Jide Macaulay is an opened gay and a priest in the church of England. The church allows him to practice his sexuality but marrying his partner is not permitted.
That’s where the problem starts fro Macaulay who can’t wait to marry his partner who is also a Nigerian.
The 53-year old priest is fighting to marry his partner but that means he could lose his job in the church.
At the moment the Church allows Jide Macaulay to live with his partner in a celibate relationship. Marriage however in the church is a non-starter.
In a BBC documentary he said “To me, that is a great disservice and discrimination against same-gender-loving individuals.”
Macaulay who is also a lawyer revealed in the BBC documentary titled “Too Gay for God?” that he is fighting for his right.
Past marriage
The gay priest has been married before but to a female partner. That was at the age of 24.
But the marriage lasted just three years. He had a son with his female partner.
“Three years after my marriage, I was having a breakdown,” Macaulay said adding “So when I told her I’m gay, unfortunately, the separation became acrimonious.”
Macaulay’s gay partner lives in Nigeria, where homosexuality is banned and suspected gays are discriminated against.
That’s why he is very eager to marry his partner. He is backing his fight for what he calls his right to sexuality with the Bible.
According to Macaulay the Church of England is wrong in preventing him from marrying his gay partner.
He said barring him and others from getting married has no basis in the Bible. He claims the Bible verses used to condemn homosexuality are wrongly misinterpreted.
Macaulay said reference to Leviticus 18:22 which says “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is an abomination” – is mischaracterised.
“I think people have used this to bash, to abuse and to demonise those who are same-gender-loving,” he said.
He is not giving up the fight just yet. He hopes the Church of England will recognise same-sex marriage one day.
Source: Africafeeds.com
