Yesterday MCC Africa Network, or the Africa Network of Metropolitan Community Churches, posted on its Facebook page praise for LGBTQ faith and how it is celebrated in the United States. As previously reported by Queer News Tonight, no region in the world has faced more challenges to the LGBTQ community than in Africa. Countries like Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya have implemented draconian measures against the gay community that can even include the death penalty. MCC Africa Network stands up for LGBTQ social justice through faith and religion. Sharon Cox Ludwig, director of the Africa Network drew attention for the entire African continent of how American organizations celebrate LGBTQ, faith and social justice. The post specifically drew attention to the Sunshine Cathedral of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Speaking to their Facebook community she said “Perhaps you haven't attended a service in a while. Maybe it's a very long while because of the harm that organised religion has done to you. We invite you to immerse yourself in the service this evening of Sunshine Cathedral. We bet you would seldom, if ever have heard this text preached on. Enjoy the worship, enjoy the musical talent, enjoy the powerful message from our beloved friends in this community.” Then the post included the Sunday Service broadcast link produced by Happening Out Television Network. Ludwig is based in South Africa, a country that is a beacon of LGBTQ+ rights in Africa. Unlike most of the 54 countries of Africa, since 2006, South Africa has embraced same-sex marriage and setting a progressive example on the continent. In contrast, 33 African nations uphold laws criminalizing same-sex relations, remnants of colonial-era statutes with vague and archaic language. Cameroon vigorously enforces penal code section 347, punishing same-sex relations with up to five years imprisonment. In Tunisia, LGBTQ+ activists face persecution, including arbitrary arrests and assaults. In Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, and Tanzania, leaders have intensified rhetoric against LGBTQ+ communities, and even calling for the death penalty. Under such grim circumstances, it is hard for LGBTQ Africans to stand against such oppression. It’s why this attention was so emotional. It attracts the queer faith community's attention to Sunshine Cathedral, calling it a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ people in Africa and encouraging the African Queer faith community to watch the Sunday live service Broadcast. It is inspiring to witness how a queer-friendly church in Fort Lauderdale has become a source of strength and inspiration to people in Africa. Queer people that so desperately look to organizations in America like Sunshine Cathedral. #Queer Up The World View