Pause. And Rewind...
I’m Neil (he/him) - host of my podcast, Pause. And Rewind… I’ll be chatting to change makers, thought leaders & role models who all share a common goal. They’re striving to make the world a more inclusive place. And let’s face, we need it!
Each guest has a unique story when it comes to doing their thing. We often know who people are in the now. But how much do we really know about them?
Pause. And Rewind… takes a moment to explore the experiences in my guests’ lives that led them to where & who they are now. Cos’ everyone loves an origin story!
We’ll dive into tales, anecdotes and what makes our guests tick. So, are you ready to Pause. And Rewind… ?
Pause. And Rewind...
Pause. And Rewind... with Reverend Jide Macauley | Hope. Joy. Resilience.
“At this grand age of 60, I am filled with honesty, transparency, and living my best life. There are so many things that I'm celebrating and I am not going to sit here and be apologetic for all of the beautiful things that I have gained in 60 years.”
Ageing is a beautiful & privileged experience and this conversation was a timely conversation with this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ Reverend Jide Macauley (he/him) recently celebrated his 60th birthday and I got to sit & chat about ALL the things he’s celebrating including some other milestones including his queerness, Blackness & almost 20 years since Jide founded House of Rainbow.
House of Rainbow is a faith-based community that celebrates the diversity of all God's people and it was founded on the vision of inclusion - providing a safe and affirming space for Black, African, Caribbean, and other ethnic minority LGBTIQ+ individuals, as well as their allies. What began as a place for fellowship now carries out work around leadership development, health & stigma reduction and global advocacy. It’s all part of Jide’s journey of reconciliation of faith & sexuality and a huge leap since Jide asked himself ‘Could there ever be a church where LGBTQ+ people feel safe?’. As well as sharing his own origin story, it was fantastic to hear about that of House of Rainbow too which began in Nigeria and now sees London as its home.
Little Jide couldn’t wait to enter the world and knew he was different from around 5 years old. He experienced bullying during school for his physical appearance & being effeminate. His home life was a loving one until his father became homophobic and Jide shares how their relationship remained strained into his adulthood. Yet Jide’s mother always showed acceptance & support when he needed it and even attended House of Rainbow for worship & community during the early days.
There’s a lot packed into this episode. Jide talks about his seven year marriage, the separation and the estrangement from his children - again as a result of homophobia - as he states “that is something that I am not going to sit down and tolerate.” His personal experiences fuel the work he does with his congregation including young people.
Jide also shines a bit of light on his challenges as a current minister in the Church of England and how he protects his resolve through that. And much more including exploring the themes of queer theology, toxic masculinity & authenticity. “I’d rather be hated for who I am than to be loved for who I am not”.
Long may the birthday celebrations! I loved this chat and I know you will too. ENJOY!
Find out more about House of Rainbow here | https://www.houseofrainbow.org/about-us
PLEASE NOTE | This episode contains talk around homophobia & suicide so please take care of yourself whilst listening.