Press Release From Davis Mac-Iyalla

Davis Mac-Iyalla - "Thanks the UK Government and Supporters".

Sunday, 27 July 2008

Following his being granted asylum in the UK, Davis Mac-Iyalla of Anglican
pressure group Changing Attitude Nigeria wishes to express his gratitude to
a number of individuals and organisations that provided support in one form
or another over a period of time.
Davis said, "The people I wish to thank include the UK government and the
Home Office, Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn, my solicitor Abigail Evans of
Wilson and Co, The Reverend Stephen Coles, Colin Coward and the trustees of
Changing Attitude, Peter Tatchell of OutRage!, Sebastian Rocca of UK Lesbian
and Gay Immigration Group, Erika Baker, Susan Strong, Mike Hersee, Julian
Batson, the Inclusive Church and others too numerous to mention. Your
support in different ways has been absolutely invaluable, not just for me
but for our common goals."

Davis added, "I'm very grateful to the UK government for granting me asylum.
It means I will have an opportunity to continue working for the full
inclusion of LGBT people in the Anglican church in Nigeria. My heart really
goes out to my LGBT brothers and sisters still trapped in Nigeria. They are
intimated and threatened by the increasingly hostile and violent environment
against them, stoked up by Archbishop Akinola and his henchmen - or
hench-bishops - who claim that we don't really exist, and if we do then we
are the spawn of the devil."

"It is impossible to have a rational debate in such a climate of hatred
spewed out from what is supposed to be a loving church. I think Jesus would
be apalled at how low the Anglican Church of Nigeria has sunk by straying so
far from his message of love and forgiveness that it does the complete
opposite".

Davis concluded, "If the Anglican Church of Nigeria and the Nigerian
government had a more open-minded and understanding attitude, then people
like me would not need asylum in the first place".

For further information contact:
Davis Mac-Iyalla
Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria
Mobile +44 (0)7948237399

Thanks to Erika.