In 2007 Nigerian Reverend Jide Macaulay from House of Rainbow attended the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) meeting in Johannesburg. This ILGA conference presented the opportunity for organisations to meet and network and important organisational relationships formed. The conference was the beginning of the alliance between House of Rainbow and Gender DynamiX (GDX).
The meeting with the 7 trans women in Lagos, Nigeria came about after a discussion Liesl Theron from GDX had with Jide during the ILGA meeting. At the time, Liesl had existing plans to visit Nigeria to attend a course and Jide offered to meet with her while in Lagos in order to introduce her to the trans women he knew. The meeting in Lagos between Liesl and the trans women was an informal discussion to share struggle experiences, learn from each other, and to create networks for allyship.
“Unfortunately, I do not have any photos or names of the seven trans women we met, many of them have either emigrated or passed away under differing circumstances. This is a dark part of our existence. We were forced to shut down in 2008, many dispersed and many are no longer part of our organisation, all of this happened 16 years ago. I recall so many things from memory but it has been a difficult mission as we have suffered bereavements that are unimaginable.” — Rev. Jide Macaulay.
On 12 August 2024, Victor Mukasa from Trans and Intersex History Africa (TIHA) had a live Facebook conversation with Reverend Jide about this meeting and his and House of Rainbow’s part in the early trans movement in Africa. You can watch the recording of this interview here:
About House of Rainbow
House of Rainbow started in 2006 as a safe place for LGBTIQ+ people of faith in a hostile context. Reverend Jide Macaulay started House of Rainbow as a weekly gathering for LGBTIQ+ Christians in Lagos, which the media soon described as ‘Nigeria’s First Gay Church’. The foundation of its work is to create a place of safety for black LGBTIQ+ people of faith.
Values
From House of Rainbow’s website:
“Many of those who turn to us for support have endured discrimination and abuse not only from their families and cultural contexts but also from their religious institutions. Our first message to those dealing with religious homophobia is that it is OK to be LGBTIQ+. We provide support and encouragement, especially to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ+) people of colour, that it is OK to be LGBTIQ+ and be a person of faith. Through one to one support, group gatherings and training workshops, we help people over time to heal and celebrate they are. We also provide support and encouragement to families and allies.”
Services
House of Rainbow provides the following services:
- Pastoral care
- Spirituality and faith
- Asylum Seekers’ support
- Peer support
- Campaigns, workshops and training: Using evidence-based resources, House of Rainbow provides a range of seminars on important health topics such as sexual health, mental health, faith and spirituality.
- Support for victims of hate crime
- Sexual health.
Contact
Website
Email
(+44) 020 8555 9222
Mobile/WhatsApp/FaceTime/IMO: +447521130179
Facebook
Twitter (X)
Instagram
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