Words From a Wicked Woman

In between sniffles, aches and pains I am working on two related stories. One is about legislation being proposed in Nigeria that would outlaw any public OR private displays of affection between people of the same sex, forbids advocacy on behalf of LGBT and, of course, prohibits same-sex marriage, the last being the putative reason for the proposed law. This law has been passed by one chamber of the Nigerian National Assembly and is being considered by the other. In the meantime, gay activists fear for their lives. One in particular, Davis Mac-Iyalla, director of Changing Attitude Nigeria (CAN), has gone into hiding. I fervently hope to have an interview with him soon. Changing Attitude Nigeria is an independent, overseas branch of Changing Attitude, an organization fighting for full-inclusion and affirmation of LGBT within the Anglican Communion.

The second story I’m working on is about the ultimatum issued by the Anglican Communion to the Episcopal Church U.S.A. (TEC) at the end of a meeting of the Communion’s 38 primates that took place last month in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The “Communiqué”, as the document is called, demands: that TEC stop ordaining LGBT bishops in faithful, committed relationships; remove V. Gene Robinson, bishop of New Hampshire and an openly gay man living in a committed relationship; stop performing gay union ceremonies (though not all dioceses perform them); cease developing church-wide rites for those ceremonies, and; form an alternative hierarchy for those churches and dioceses who feel they cannot adhere to the leadership of the current primate, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, because of her support for full-inclusion of LGBT members, clergy and bishops and because she is a woman. Basically, Schori went to Dar es Salaam and got her backside kicked as if she were a small child.

Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, Church of Nigeria

This document has profound implications for TEC. The primates have demanded that the Church circumvent its legislative body, the General Convention, by focusing responsibility on fulfillment in the House of Bishops–something that is very clearly outside of the laws and customs of TEC. Furthermore, it is contrary to Anglican custom to demand anything from the 38 independent churches. To do so would move the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, as its leader, into a position of dominion over the individual churches as opposed to one spoke in the wheel as they are now. Customarily, no church has had the right to interfere in the polity and policy of any other church of the Communion. However, the mere fact of the Communiqué flies in the face of nearly 400 years of practice.

These two stories are joined in several ways. The most important is that there is one man at the center of both: Archbishop Peter J. Akinola of the Church of Nigeria (CON). He is one of the worst homophobes I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen lots of them. I believe, when all is said and done, Akinola will have blood on his hands–figuratively, if not literally. The situation in Nigeria is ready to explode and I believe there may be long-term implications for the U.S. and Europe not just in our churches, but also in our foreign and national policies.

Akinola is also the primary instigator of the backlash against TEC policies regarding LGBT. He and a group of other primates, most of them from countries south of the equator, see it as their mission in life to defend the Communion against the “disordered condition” of homosexuality. Ironically, it is the colonialism of people of color in northern (read “white”) realms that is the source of most of the tension within the Anglican Communion. Because I have to, I will contact the CON for comment. I do not look forward to doing so.

I should also point out that I am very busy preparing for knee replacement surgery on March 22. Right now, because of the vestiges of my sinus infection, I can’t be cleared for surgery. I am preparing for it nevertheless because I anticipate being rid of this blasted bug in time for pre-surgical testing next week. There is a lot to do. The most important (and most expensive) goal was to secure Internet access. I had no idea that it would be this difficult. I ended up purchasing another phone–the 3G-enabled Motorola RAZR V3xx. Buying it serves a dual purpose. I can use it as a broadband modem for my MacBook Pro because Cleveland somehow lucked out and became part of Cingular/AT&T’s GSM network sooner than the vast majority of the country. It will also last until at least the second revision of Apple’s iPhone. I do not know, but do anticipate that the $499-$599 price tag will have come down and that it will have 3G capability by then.

Given all that is going on, the chances are pretty darn good that I won’t be posting either of the above stories until Monday–and maybe Tuesday–next week. So, until then, be well and have a great week!

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