Uganda: US evangelist sued for inciting gay hate
Ugandan gays are frightened by the reintroduction of the anti-homosexuality bill in parliament. Here members of the Ugandan gay community mourn at the funeral of murdered gay activist David Kato near Mataba, on Jan. 28, 2011. Although the police claims it was most likely a petty crime, targeting Kato’s money, many members of the gay and the human rights community hold the Ugandan government responsible for not battling the growing threats to homosexuals.
NAIROBI, Kenya — Scott Lively, an evangelical Christian preacher and author of a book called "The Pink Swastika" about, yup, gay Nazis, is being sued by Ugandan gay rights activists who accuse him of inciting the persecution of homosexuals.
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The case brought by Sexual Minorities Uganda, a gay rights organization with an unfortunate acronym, SM-UG, accuses Lively of encouraging local Christian groups and politicians who in 2009 tabled a bill proposing the death penalty for homosexuals.
"Lively has been the man with the plan in this enterprise,” said Pam Spees, senior staff attorney at the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights which filed the lawsuit on behalf of SM-UG.
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Lively is being sued under the "Alien Tort Statute" that enables foreigners to sue US citizens in US courts if they are accused of breaking international laws.
Tracked down by a reporter Lively said he had no knowledge of the lawsuit, telling the New York Times, "That’s about as ridiculous as it gets. I’ve never done anything in Uganda except preach the Gospel and speak my opinion about the homosexual issue."
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