Thursday, May 17, 2007

Persecuted Nigerian Anglican to Speak at Trinity Cathedral

contact: Rebecca Wilson, 330-524-2067, rswilson@raex.com

CLEVELAND—On Wednesday, May 23, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral will host Davis Mac-Iyalla, a leader of the movement to include gay and lesbian people in the Anglican Church of Nigeria and founder of Changing Attitude-Nigeria. As a result of his work on behalf of gay and lesbian Nigerians, Mac-Iyalla has been repeatedly denounced by the hierarchy of his church, has been the target of death threats, and now lives in exile elsewhere in Africa.

Mac-Iyalla will speak at Trinity at 7:30 pm on May 23, following Choral Evensong at 6 pm and a community supper at 7 pm. The event is free; a freewill offering to support Changing Attitude-Nigeria will be taken. Integrity, the organization of gay and lesbian Episcopalians, is co-sponsoring the event. For more information, please visit www.trinitycleveland.org or call 216-771-3630.

Trinity Cathedral, the Episcopal Church in downtown Cleveland, invites participation from people of all faiths, races, nationalities and walks of life. For more information on Trinity Cathedral, located at 2230 Euclid Avenue, please call 216-771-3630 or visit www.trinitycleveland.org. Parking for Trinity Cathedral, adjacent to the building, is available off Prospect Avenue.

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Editor’s Note: Despite requests from both Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams that he stay home, the Anglican Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, visited the United States two weeks ago to install Bishop Martyn Minns as leader of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America.

Akinola is known as a worldwide leader of the movement to refuse gay and lesbian people a place in the Anglican church, and his church is also reported to support draft legislation that would further criminalize homosexuality and prohibit advocating for civil rights on behalf of gays and lesbians in that country.

Advanced phone interviews with Davis Mac-Iyalla are available by calling or emailing Rebecca Wilson at 330-524-2067, rswilson@raex.com.

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