Scott Lively, head of Defend the Family International, will be tried in a Massachusetts court for crimes against humanity, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. The lawsuit was filed against him by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on behalf of Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) last year. They charge that he has spearheaded the Ugandan anti-LGBT movement, advising the government of that country on the “Kill The Gays” bill and conspiring with them for the past decade to persecute LGBT Ugandans. From the papers filed:

The suit alleges that Lively’s involvement in anti-gay efforts in Uganda, including his active participation in a conspiracy to strip away fundamental rights from LGBT persons constitutes persecution. This is the first known Alien Tort Statute (ATS) case seeking accountability for persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

On Alan Colmes radio show, in January of 2010, Lively had this to say:

“What’s the gay agenda in Uganda? It’s the attempt to homosexualize the country like they did in so many other countries. … To change the moral foundation of the society, away from a marriage-based culture, to one of sexual anarchy. That’s why they invited me there. They were concerned about the attempts to do that, by American and European gays, mostly men, who were coming into their country, messing with the young men in the country, and trying to influence their political and cultural policies.”

Though he says that he doesn’t believe in homosexuals being incarcerated, he has, on many occasions, equated homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality. He has been thumping anti-gay propaganda, spreading spurious “facts” about LGBT persons and knowingly propagating falsehoods about a “gay agenda.” He has said that homosexuals ran the Nazi party, co-writing a book called The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party, a tome full of idiotic claims that have no basis in reality. Lively has taken this hateful message around the world, not only advising Ugandan authorities, but also sending an “open letter” to the Russian people. In this, he asserts that homosexuality is a dangerous personality disorder. It makes one wonder whether this letter had any influence over the new anti-gay laws in Russia. After all, it was only a month after Lively had “advised” the Ugandan government that the “Kill The Gays” bill was introduced.

Recently, Lively has been flogging the moronic idea that President Obama is gay. No, really. Lively thinks that the POTUS is gay because Reggie Love, Obama’s former personal assistant, was visiting him in February. Because it’s unknown for two hetero men to visit, play pool and shoot the shit, you know. Lively has been pushing this ridiculous idea on the World Net Daily website – so you know it must be true!

Scott Lively will stand trial for his odious words and acts, both of which are responsible for many deaths in Uganda. Of course, he asserts that he’s just being picked on and that the suit…

“… boils down to nothing more than an attempt to define my Biblical views against homosexuality as a crime. Clearly, this lawsuit is intended not only to silence me as an effective voice of opposition to the ‘gay’ agenda, it is also to intimidate everyone else who would dare to follow my example.”

But what Mr. Lively can’t seem to grasp is that his freedom to believe as he will does not extend to persecuting people who don’t feel the same. Why, oh why can’t these fundies get it through their thick skulls – freedom of religion does not extend beyond your own life? You cannot make others, either by force or by law, comply with your religious beliefs. It’s very simple really. It’s even in their book:

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

See? Simple. Mr. Lively apparently has never really read that book or, if he has, has only done so selectively. What a shame. Well, it will give him something to do in prison, I guess, God/dess willing.