From Care2.com:



It is the first known sexual identity and gender discrimination suit under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), which allows foreign victims to sue corporations, governments and individuals for human rights violations.

Lively’s attorneys sought to get the case dismissed on a variety of claims, including that the plaintiffs had no standing, the Alien Tort Statute did not apply, and everything he said was protected by the First Amendment.

In a ruling last week, a federal judge disagreed, saying that because his activities occurred both in the United States and Uganda, the plaintiffs had standing, including jurisdictional. Furthermore, Lively’s actions went beyond speech and noted deliberate activity to deny LGBT people basic individual rights.