Scott Lively - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scott Douglas Lively (born December 14, 1957), an American author, attorney, and activist. He is noted for his opposition to LGBT rights and his involvement in the ex-gay movement. He is the president of Abiding Truth Ministries, a conservative Christian organization located in Temecula, California,[1] and the former state director of the California branch of the American Family Association. Lively has called for the criminalization of "the public advocacy of homosexuality" as far back as 2007,[2][3] and is allegedly involved in anti-gay legislation in Uganda.[4]

Lively formed Watchmen on the Walls, an evangelical ministry, in Riga, Latvia.[5]

According to a January 2011 profile, Lively "has not changed his view that gays are 'agents of America's moral decline', but has refocused his approach to fit his flock in Springfield, Massachusetts" and "is toning down his antigay rhetoric and shifting his focus to helping the downtrodden".[6]

On August 14, 2013, a federal judge ruled that the case against Scott Lively, by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on behalf of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a Uganda-based coalition of LGBTI rights and advocacy groups, can move forward against him. This is a first-of-its kind case in which the lawsuit alleges that Lively's actions over the past decade, in collaboration with some Ugandan government officials and Ugandan religious leaders, are responsible for depriving LGBTI Ugandans of their fundamental human rights based solely on their identity, which the lawsuits alleges falls under the definition of persecution under international law and is a crime against humanity. This effort resulted in the introduction of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill which Lively allegedly helped engineer.[7]

The Pink Swastika[edit]

Along with Kevin E. Abrams, Lively co-authored the book The Pink Swastika, which states in the preface that "homosexuals [are] the true inventors of Nazism and the guiding force behind many Nazi atrocities".[8]

The premise of Lively and Abrams' book has been heavily criticized as a "pernicious myth",[9] "utterly false"[10] and "a flat-out lie",[11] and several historians have questioned the book's claims and selective use of research.[9][12][13][14][15]

Lawsuit[edit]

In 1991, Lively assaulted Catherine Stauffer, throwing her against a wall and dragging her across the floor of a Portland church, at an Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) event she had been trying to film.[16] Stauffer received a judgement of over $31,000 against Lively and the OCA in 1992.[17][18]

Anti-homosexuality activism in Uganda[edit]

In March 2009, Lively, along with evangelical activists Don Schmierer and Caleb Lee Brundidge, arrived in Kampala to give a series of talks. "The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was 'the gay agenda — that whole hidden and dark agenda' — and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family".[4]

"[T]housands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians", reportedly attended the conference.[4] Lively and his colleagues "discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how 'the gay movement is an evil institution' whose goal is 'to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity'".[4] Lively wrote days later that "someone had likened their campaign to 'a nuclear bomb against the gay agenda in Uganda'".[4]

The talks inspired the development of a private member's Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the Ugandan parliament.[19] The bill, submitted in November 2009, called for the death penalty in some cases, and received international opprobrium.[19][20][21]

Lively expressed disappointment that "the legislation was so harsh".[4] "Lively says he recommended an approach rooted in rehabilitation, not punishment and says an anti-gay bill being considered by the Ugandan Parliament goes too far":[22]

[M]y advice to the parliament was to go the other direction from what they did to actually go on a proactive positive message promoting the family, promoting marriage, etcetera, through the schools, and that if they were going to continue to criminalize homosexuality that they should focus on rehabilitation and not punishment. And I was very disappointed when the law came out as it is written now with such incredibly harsh punishments.[22]

Lively has said that he will endorse the bill if the death penalty is removed.[23]

In March 2010, Lively wrote:

In my view, homosexuality (indeed all sex outside of marriage) should be actively discouraged by society -- but only as aggressively as necessary to prevent the mainstreaming of alternative sexual lifestyles, and with concern for the preservation of the liberties of those who desire to keep their personal lifestyles private. Marriage-based culture served humanity very favorably during the centuries when homosexuality was disapproved but tolerated as a sub-culture in America, England and elsewhere. It has obviously not fared well in the decades since the so-called sexual revolution kicked open Pandora's Box and unleashed both rampant heterosexual promiscuity and "Gay Pride" on the world.

On March 14, 2012, Lively was sued in U.S. Federal Court by gay rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda under the Alien Tort Statute, who accused Lively of inciting the persecution of gay men and lesbians. Lively responded "[t]hat’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".[25]

Pam Spees, a staff attorney for the organization representing Sexual Minorities Uganda in the case against Lively, the Center for Constitutional Rights, said, "This is not just based on his speech. It's based on his conduct. Belief is one thing, but actively trying to harm and deprive other people of their rights is the definition of persecution".[25][26][27]

In August 2013, a federal judge rejected an attempt by the defense to dismiss the case against Lively. U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor rejected the jurisdictional claims by the defendant, ruling that the plaintiffs were on solid ground under international and federal law and that First Amendment arguments were "premature".[28]

Criticism[edit]

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) regards Abiding Truth Ministries as a hate group.[29] Lively has responded in his blog.[30]

The American Family Association, the California branch of which Lively has directed, is also an SPLC-designated hate group.[31]

Publications[edit]

• The Pink Swastika (1996)[32]
• Seven Steps to Recruit-Proof Your Child: A Parent's Guide to Protecting Children from Homosexuality and the "Gay" Movement (1998)[33]
• Why and How to Defeat the "Gay" Movement (2000)[34]
• Redeeming the Rainbow: A Christian Response to the "Gay" Agenda (2009)[35]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^"Scott Lively's Bio". The Pro-Family Resource Center of Abiding Truth Ministries. Abiding Truth Ministries. 2002-2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008. 
2. ^"Letter to the Russian People". Abiding Truth Ministries. 15 October 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2010. 
3. ^"Scott Lively Advocated 'Criminalizing Homosexuality' as Far Back as 2007". The Huffington Post. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010. 
4. ^ abcdefGettleman, Jeffrey (January 3, 2010), "Americans’ Role Seen in Uganda Anti-Gay Push", The New York Times: A1, retrieved 2010-02-09 
5. ^"Watchmen Not a Hate Group". Abiding Truth Ministries. 7 November 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2010. 
6. ^"Shift in mission for religious firebrand - Antigay pastor refocuses on aiding Springfield". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2012-03-16. 
7. ^"Judge allows landmark case against anti-gay religious leader to proceed". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 2013-08-14. 
8. ^The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party: Preface to the Fourth Edition, retrieved 2010-04-17
9. ^ abErik N. Jensen (January/April 2002). "The Pink Triangle and Political Consciousness: Gays, Lesbians, and the Memory of Nazi Persecution". Journal of the History of Sexuality11 (1/2): 319–349, pp. 322–323 and n. 19. doi:10.1353/sex.2002.0008. 
10. ^Bob Moser (Spring 2005). "Making Myths". Intelligence Report (Southern Poverty Law Center) (117). 
11. ^Zimmerman, Jonathan (August 27, 2011). "Did Nazis persecute gays, or were they gay themselves?". The Bakersfield Californian/History News Service. 
12. ^Dorthe Seifert (Fall 2003). "Between Silence and License: The Representation of the National Socialist Persecution of Homosexuality in Anglo-American Fiction and Film". History and Memory15 (2): 94–129, p. 94. doi:10.2979/HIS.2003.15.2.94. 
13. ^"The Other Side of the Pink Triangle: Still a Pink Triangle". October 24, 1994. Retrieved 2008-11-08. 
14. ^"A historian’s analysis of The Pink Swastika, part 1". Wthrockmorton.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16. 
15. ^"A historian’s analysis of The Pink Swastika, part 2". Wthrockmorton.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16. 
16. ^Dunn, Katia (October 5, 2000). "Honor Thy Debts: Prying Open the OCA's Wallet". The Portland Mercury. 
17. ^"Alliance spokesman guilty of using unreasonable force", The Bulletin, October 6, 1992, retrieved 2009-12-01 
18. ^Oregon Judicial Department Appellate Court Opinions - Catherine Stauffer v. Oregon Citizen's Alliance
19. ^ abAlsop, Zoe (Dec 10, 2009), "Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill: Inspired by the U.S.", TIME Magazine (Time), retrieved 2010-03-01 
20. ^"Helping Hand For Homophobia From U.S. Christians". Inter Press Service. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2012-03-16. 
21. ^Xan Rice in Kampala. "Uganda considers death sentence for gay sex in bill before parliament". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-03-16. 
22. ^ abMichel Martin (18 December 2009). "U.S. Evangelical Leaders Blamed For Uganda Anti-Gay Sentiment". NPR. Retrieved 1 March 2010. 
23. ^"Anti-Homosexual Bill In Uganda Causes Global Uproar". ABC News. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2012-03-16. 
24. ^"The Death Penalty in Uganda". Abiding Truth Ministries. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-20. 
25. ^ abGoodstein, Laurie (March 14, 2012). "Ugandan Gay Rights Group Sues U.S. Evangelist". The New York Times. 
26. ^Halper, Katie (March 15, 2012). "Ugandan LGBTQ org sues U.S. evangelist for inciting persecution". Feministing. 
27. ^Weiss, Debra Cassens (March 15, 2012). "Suit Alleges Evangelist Violated International Law by Waging an Anti-Gay Campaign in Uganda". ABA Journal. 
28. ^Barry, Stephanie (August 19, 2013). "Crimes against humanity lawsuit against anti-gay evangelist Pastor Scott Lively, of Springfield, advances in federal court". The Republican/MassLive.com. 
29. ^Waddington, Lynda (November 23, 2010). "Groups that Helped Oust Iowa Judges Earn 'Hate Group' Designation; SPLC Adds American Family Association, Family Research Council to List". Iowa Independent. Retrieved 25 November 2010. 
30. ^HatewatchWatch. Blogspot.
31. ^Bohon, Dave (December 3, 2010). "SPLC Targets 18 "Anti-Gay" Pro-family Groups". The New American. Retrieved April 21, 2011. 
32. ^Lively, Scott; Kevin E. Abrams (1996). The Pink Swastika. Founders Publishing Corporation. ISBN 0-964-76091-6. 
33. ^Lively, Scott (1998). Seven Steps to Recruit-Proof Your Child. Founders Publishing Corporation. ISBN 0-9647609-5-9. 
34. ^Lively, Scott (2000). Why and How to Defeat the "Gay" Movement. Abiding Truth Ministries. 
35. ^Redeeming The Rainbow. Defend The Family.

External links[edit]