John, a Kenyan priest shares his story and tell of the struggles he has been through as a gay priest.
In an interview with BBC, John defines himself as a Black, Gay priest man.
He however revealed that it took him long enough to come out of the closet because he feared rejection from the society.
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He shared that growing up he was ashamed of his sexuality because his teachers always told him that being gay was un-African and demonic.
He told BBC that after seeking advise from church elders he was asked to confess in front of the whole congregation so that the gay demon will be cast out.
He remembers the ululations from the church members after his confession but revealed that even though he did that, nothing in him had changed.
John therefore decided to live a celibate and not act on his feelings because at that point he felt lost and confused.
His passion to be a priest was getting stronger each passing day.
“One day I confessed to a friend that I was gay again and the next thing I knew word spread that I am gay. I was outed.” John said
He therefore ran away and went abroad as people in his church were gossiping and calling him a sinner.
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He revealed that it is through his getting away that he truly found himself.
He met an African Pentecostal scholar who interpreted the bible in a different way.
“I stopped looking at God bogeyman man ready to strike me dead. I saw God as a friend.” John said.
He then narrated that he couldn’t stop wondering if there is a community back at home that embraces gay people as they are and that’s how he started doing his research.
John said that the first time he met the queer community in Kenya he couldn’t hold back his tears of excitement because for the first time he felt free at home.
“The first time I went in the queer church in Kenya I couldn’t hold back my tears. For the first time in my life I saw ordinary Kenyans, gay, Lesbians, trans and non-binary worshipping God together free from shame” John said.
He concluded by saying that after that he wrote on his diary that ‘God swells in Queer people too’
