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SPRINGFIELD - Controversial pastor Scott Lively is shown here (center, in trench coat) entering federal court with his attorneys to defend himself against a crimes against humanity lawsuit filed by Sexual Minorities Uganda.

(The Republican file)

SPRINGFIELD - Lawyers for controversial preacher Scott Lively will appear in U.S. District Court Tuesday to continue to defend Lively against "crimes against humanity" allegations leveled by a Ugandan civil rights group.

Lively, of Springfield, gained international notoriety when he evangelized against homosexuality in the United States and Africa. He is the leader of "Abiding Truth Ministries," which the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled a hate group along with the likes of the "Aryan Strikeforce" and the Nation of Islam, according to the "hate map" on its website.

Lively has run his ministry out of the Holy Grounds coffee shop on State Street, which has been the target of many pro-LGBT demonstrations - perhaps the largest when Sexual Minorities Uganda brought the federal lawsuit in 2012.

The complaint alleges Lively traveled to the East African country, already politically fragile, and helped stoke anti-homosexual hysteria, bringing violence and death to openly gay citizens there. Lawyers for Lively countered that the allegations were absurd and the preacher is protected by his First Amendment right to free speech, at any rate.

Judges in both the federal district court in Springfield and the First Circuit Court of Appeals have rejected petitions by Lively's attorneys to dismiss the case.

This morning, lawyers for the civil rights group and Lively will argue motions to determine how discovery in the case will proceed.

Lively himself balks and the terms "anti-homosexuality" for his ministry and has countered that he is pro-family.

He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014 and in March announced that he had expanded his coffee shop brand of ministry to Riverside, Calif.



It is unclear whether he will appear in court Tuesday.

This is a developing story and more details about the court case will follow.