Davis Mac Iyalla is a queer spiritual leader and openly gay traditional chief in Ghana, writes this week for Mamba Online the South African queer newspaper. He has many insights into native spirituality and the journey to self loving. We have summarised his thesis here, and have paraphrased his philosophy. Read the original essay by Davis at https://www.mambaonline.com/
Across West Africa and its global diaspora, a profound and often unspoken reality persists: the spiritual and sexual selves are not separate entities but deeply connected roots of the same human experience. For LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly those from devout religious backgrounds, this connection is a daily lived reality, not an abstract concept. It is felt in private prayers, in moments of fear, and in the profound relief of discovering a love that feels divinely unconditional.
Too often, religious and social institutions enforce a brutal fragmentation, demanding that LGBTQ+ people sever their sexuality to be considered spiritual or faithful. This forced choice is not about morality but about maintaining control and power, upholding hierarchies that label some bodies as sacred and others as flawed. This systemic pressure creates what can only be described as theological closets, built from fear and policed by doctrine.
The journey toward integration—healing this imposed fracture—is an act of immense courage. It involves unlearning deeply ingrained shame, confronting religious authorities who wield scripture as a weapon, and painstakingly constructing a new, affirming spiritual foundation. This process is, fundamentally, an act of liberation.
This liberation looks like a lesbian woman in Ghana praying in her mother tongue and feeling heard. It is a bisexual man in Nigeria shedding the burden of apology for his existence. It is a queer youth in the diaspora connecting with ancestral spiritual traditions that honoured diverse identities long before colonial impositions. Integration is the radical refusal to accept that one must choose between God and their authentic self.
The Imperative for Holistic Activism
True advocacy must address the whole person. Activism that fights for legal and social rights while ignoring the deep spiritual trauma inflicted by religious institutions offers only partial healing. Movements for dignity must recognise that sexual identity development is a journey of truth-telling, while spiritual development is a journey of meaning-making. Both are essential, and both must be nurtured in safe, supportive spaces.
A direct call is issued to faith leaders across Africa and the diaspora: silence and ambiguity are forms of complicity. If a theology cannot accommodate the full humanity of LGBTQ+ people, it is the theology that requires re-examination, not the lives of the faithful. Pastoral care demands clarity and compassion, not neutrality.
To LGBTQ+ communities, the message is one of affirmation: your journey is sacred, your questions are holy, and your longing to belong is a testament to spiritual resilience. You were born deserving both your faith and your identity; one does not negate the other.
In a world that actively benefits from dividing people against themselves, claiming wholeness is a revolutionary act. Each time someone embraces their sexuality and spirituality together, they challenge centuries of oppression. This integrated living paves the way for future generations, building a liberation founded on the truth that to be whole is to be free.
