'Jide Macaulay (born Rowland Ayoola Babajide Macaulay,[1] 4 November 1965)[2] is an openly gay British-Nigerian LGBTQ rights activist and Anglican minister.[3][4] Macaulay founded the House Of Rainbow, which provides support for LGBTQ persons in Nigeria.[5]
Macaulay was born in London in 1965 to August Olakunle Macaulay, a Nigerian theologian and founder of the United Bible University, and Helen Olusola Macaulay, a midwife.[1] His family moved to Nigeria, where Jide attended several primary and secondary schools. He graduated from high school in 1986[1] before attending Thames Valley University in London, where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree. He obtained a master’s degree in practical theology at the United Bible University and a post-graduate certificate in pastoral theology from Anglia Ruskin University.[1] Macaulay also trained at the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California.[1]
Career
Macaulay began his ministry in 1998 and has since become a prominent voice for inclusion within Christian communities.[6] In 2013, he was ordained as a priest in the Church of England, marking a significant moment for LGBTQ inclusion in religious leadership.[7] His work focuses on harmonising sexuality, spirituality, and human rights. He has served as a trustee for the Kaleidoscope Trust UK and Global Interfaith Network, and currently chairs INERELA+ Europe, an interfaith network of religious leaders living with or affected by HIV.[8]
Impact in the LGBTQIA+ community
In 2006, Macaulay founded House of Rainbow, a faith-based initiative that began as a weekly gathering for LGBTQ Christians in Lagos, Nigeria. The group was quickly labelled by local media as “Nigeria’s first gay church.”[9] The visibility of the group led to public backlash, including threats and attacks, forcing Macaulay to leave Nigeria and continue his work in the UK.[7] Today, House of Rainbow operates in over 22 countries across Africa and the Caribbean, offering spiritual support and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ people of faith.[10]
Personal life
Macaulay, like Bisi Alimi, has openly declared he is living with HIV and has continued to use his platform to advocate for people living with HIV, especially within religious communities.[11] He has served as a volunteerchaplain at Mildmay Mission Hospital in London and promotes education and empowerment for religious leaders affected by HIV.[8] Despite his advocacy, Macaulay frequently faces online abuse and homophobic attacks, particularly from Nigerian social media users. He continues to speak out against discrimination and remains committed to fostering inclusive faith spaces.[12]
Publications
Macaulay, Jide. “Spreading the News of God's Unconditional Love in Nigeria.” In Queer Ministers’ Voices from the Global South, edited by Adriaan van Klinken and Johanna Stiebert, Routledge, 2023. ISBN9781003348764.[13]
Macaulay, Jide. Contribution in Black and Gay in the UK: An Anthology, edited by John R Gordon and Rikki Beadle-Blair. Team Angelica, 2014. ISBN 978-0-9565587-3-3.[14]
See also
Bisi Alimi – Nigerian gay rights activist and HIV advocate
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