A Nigerian-born Anglican priest who spent years praying the gay away, married a woman under church pressure, came out in 1994, was diagnosed with HIV in 2003, and founded the first inclusive church in Nigeria - now operating across 22 countries.
Summary
Jide Macaulay grew up in Nigeria, the son of a powerful conservative theologian. His father was not available emotionally and would later support a Nigerian bill that could imprison his own son for 14 years simply for being gay. He called Jide a disgrace. But before any of that, Jide tried to fix himself. He fasted for 40 days, pleading with God to remove his same-sex feelings. When a woman said yes to a relationship, he believed the prayer had worked. It hadn't. The feelings never disappeared. After four years of pressure from church leaders and family, they married. Three years in, Jide sat his wife down and told her the truth. The marriage became acrimonious. He came out as gay in 1994.
Eight years later, in January 2003, Jide tested positive for HIV. He got it through sex, and he says so directly. The first person he called to share the news cast him out and called him a slut. But before sunset that same day, he called someone else - a friend who drove straight to his house, packed him a bag, ran him a bath, and left the bedroom door open through the night to keep watch. For six years after his diagnosis, Jide travelled the journey with only his medical team and one other person. It took him 15 years to speak about it publicly.
In 2006, Jide founded the House of Rainbow in the heart of Lagos - Nigeria's first inclusive Christian ministry for LGBTQ people. It now operates across 22 countries, supporting people seeking asylum, survivors of trafficking, and people living with HIV. He also served as chaplain at the Mildmay Hospital in London, walking the wards of the institution Princess Diana made famous by holding the hands of people with AIDS.
Key Moments
- [02:49] A happy, holy homosexual - how Jide introduces himself, along with Mama Jide, a name connected to his maternal spirit
- [02:56] The McCauley legacy - growing up as the son of a conservative Nigerian theologian who was emotionally unavailable and would later support anti-gay legislation
- [04:06] The Bible as weapon - how scripture is selectively applied, and why Jide grounds his theology in Psalm 139: "We are fearfully and wonderfully made"
- [08:39] Praying the gay away - 40 days of fasting, a girlfriend mistaken for a cure, and a marriage built on church pressure rather than truth
- [10:53] Coming out in 1994 - telling his wife, the collapse of the marriage, and the acrimony that followed
- [14:58] Diagnosed in January 2003 - an HIV diagnosis eight years after coming out, the question of whether it was God's punishment, and the decision that it was not
- [16:31] Six years of solitude - travelling the journey with almost no one, and why Jide insists nobody should be rushed into sharing their status
- [19:42] Two phone calls on the same day - the friend who called him a slut, and the one who drove over, ran a bath, and left the door open all night
- [22:36] The Bible and stigma - why scripture specifically commands compassion for the sick, and the Princess Diana moment at Mildmay as a biblical image
- [25:46] House of Rainbow - founded in Lagos in 2006, now in 22 countries, supporting LGBTQ Christians, asylum seekers, trafficking survivors, and people living with HIV
- [31:40] Speaking directly to someone falling apart - Jide's message that HIV is not a punishment for queerness, and that the sacredness of sharing who you are is never an abomination
Dedication
Jide remembers Reverend Upazila, the first priest in Africa to publicly declare her HIV status, whom he met at a conference in Stellenbosch in 2009. She died during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
About Reverend Jide Macaulay
Reverend Jide Macaulay is a Nigerian-born Anglican priest and the founder of the House of Rainbow, Nigeria's first inclusive LGBTQ Christian ministry, now operating in 22 countries. He served as chaplain at the Mildmay Hospital in London and has been living with HIV since 2003. He describes himself as a happy, holy homosexual.
Resources
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