Friday, March 16, 2012

Sexual Minorities Uganda Sues Scott Lively



Scott Lively, founder of Abiding Truth Ministries and author of The Pink Swastika, is an American preacher with a long history of homophobic statements, as meticulously documented by Right Wing Watch and Box Turtle Bulletin. Lively is one of several U.S. Christian figures (i.e., Lou Engle) who have promoted anti-gay sentiments in Uganda, a situation discussed in a 2010 report by the Advocate. Human Rights Watch nominated Lively for its 2011 "Homophobia Hall of Shame" for his global activism against LGBT equality (more here). To boot, the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Abiding Truth Ministries a hate group. This week, Lively's anti-gay activism just landed him in hot water.

On March 14th, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court against Scott Lively on behalf of Sexual Minorities Uganda. The suit alleges that Lively's anti-gay efforts in Uganda constitute persecution, making it the first known alien tort statute case related to persecution on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the CCR. The New York Times reports that the lawsuit named four co-conspirators alongside Lively: Stephen Langa, the organizer of a 2009 anti-gay seminar in Uganda; Martin Ssempa, an anti-gay Ugandan preacher; David Bahati, the Ugandan MP behind a draconian anti-gay bill; and James Buturo, a proponent of the bill.

The New York Times reports that in 2009, Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge, and Don Schmierer of "ex-gay" group Exodus International participated in a conference on the "gay agenda" in Kampala, Uganda. The article reports that the three men presented talks on the alleged evils of the gay movement, the alleged sexual predations of gay men, and how to supposedly make homosexuals straight. (Lively posted a short report about the seminar here.) A month after the Kampala conference, Ugandan MP David Bahati introduced a draconian anti-gay bill in Uganda parliament, which drew fierce global criticism. According to Alan Colmes, Lively called Bahati's legislation "a step in the right direction". He also admitted that he helped start Uganda's so-called "pro-family" movement in an interview with Vanguard correspondent Mariana von Zeller.

Lively told World Net Daily that he was being targeted "for speaking the truth of the Bible in a foreign country." According to the article, Lively claimed that he urged Ugandan parliamentarians to focus on therapy rather than punishment for homosexuals, and that he opposed the death penalty provision in Bahati's bill. 

A pro-LGBT demonstration coincided with the suit against Lively. Truth Wins Out reports that on March 14th, pro-LGBT demonstrators performed a silent protest outside of Holy Grounds Coffee House in Springfield, Massachusetts, which Lively owns. John Becker of Truth Wins Out reports that some protesters carried signs with pictures of Ugandan hate crime victims, while others covered their faces to represent the silencing of LGBT people in Uganda.

This is intriguing news. Although the final outcome of Sexual Minorities Uganda v. Lively remains to be seen, it will still drawn attention to the activities of anti-gay U.S. preachers in Uganda. Whether it can be proven that Lively's international anti-gay activism constitutes persecution, this action nevertheless demands accountability for his words and actions.


To learn more about Lively and Abiding Truth Ministries, click here. For additional commentary, visit the following links.

Religion Dispatches: American Evangelist Who Sparked Anti-Gay Panic Sued By Ugandan Gay Rights Group

Box Turtle Bulletin: Lawsuit Filed Against Scott Lively For Instigating Anti-LGBT Persecution in Uganda

SPLC Hatewatch: Ugandan LGBT Group Sues Anti-Gay Activist Scott Lively

8 comments:

  1. Geez, and the hits just keep on coming. If the homophobes, misogynists, and religious nut jobs keep up at this pace, you're going to be posting 24/7!

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    1. Donna -- Tell me about it! I have a big backlog of stories that I want to write about. The Religious Right certainly keeps busy.

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  2. Yes, what are you going to write about when all these Christians start acting like, you know, Jesus?

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    1. I'll just have to blog about books, craft beer, and heavy metal. Until that day, I'll be busy.

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  3. It is a really intriguing development. I'm anxious to see what happens with the lawsuit. I sure hope this turns out to be a victory for accountability.

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    1. Wise Fool -- Me too. The very fact that this lawsuit could even come foward is a sign of progress.

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  4. It is interesting to me that Scott Lively basically calls American Christian male leaders who have distanced themselves from the Ugandan bill effeminate all the while distancing himself(in this interview, at least) from the bill.

    "Well...I think the bill is the lesser of two evils, but I don't support it if it carries the death penalty, unless its just for pedophiles, but even then, I don't support the death penalty." What kind of tap dance is that?

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    1. D'Ma -- The tap dance of someone who knows he's in a corner, and who is unhappy that he's being held accountable for his activism.

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