SMUG Pleased with course of Legal Case Against Scott Lively

-
Uganda LGBTI thrilled as US Court Allows Case Against US Anti-Gay Religious Leader to Proceed

August 19, 2013 Kampala, Uganda –

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) happily welcomes the court ruling by US Federal judge on Wednesday August 14, 2013. In the historic ruling the judge rejected a motion to dismiss a crimes against humanity case brought by Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) against evangelical Pastor Scott Lively of Massachusetts. The judge ruled that persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is indeed a crime against humanity and that the fundamental human rights of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex [LGBTI] people are protected under international law.
“Widespread, systematic persecution of LGBTI people constitutes a crime against humanity that unquestionably violates international norms,” said Judge Michael Ponsor. “The history and current existence of discrimination against LGBTI people is precisely what qualifies them as a distinct targeted group eligible for protection under international law. The fact that a group continues to be vulnerable to widespread, systematic persecution in some parts of the world simply cannot shield one who commits a crime against humanity from liability.”
The ruling means that the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), who brought the case on behalf of Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG), can move forward over defendant Scott Lively’s request to dismiss the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Lively’s actions over the past decade, in collaboration with key Ugandan government officials and religious leaders, are responsible for depriving Ugandan Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex people of their fundamental human rights based merely on their identity, which is the definition of persecution under international law and is deemed a crime against humanity. This effort bore fruit most notably in the introduction of the infamous Anti-Homosexuality Bill commonly known as “the Kill the Gays bill”, which Lively abetted.
Frank Mugisha, the Executive Director of SMUG said, “This ruling should be a clear signal to extreme religious groups all over the world, and especially those that spread hate here in Uganda, that their hatred will not go unpunished by the arm of the law.”  
Lively has also been active in countries like Russia where a new law criminalizing gay rights advocacy was recently passed. In 2007, Lively toured 50 cities in Russia recommending some of the measures that are now law.
“We are gratified that the court recognized the persecution and the gravity of the danger faced by our clients as a result of Scott Lively’s actions. Lively’s single-minded campaign has worked to criminalize their very existence, strip away their fundamental rights and threaten their physical safety.” Said CCR Attorney Pam Spees
U.S. law allows foreign citizens to sue for violations of international law in U.S. federal courts under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS). The case, Sexual Minorities Uganda v. Lively, was originally filed in federal court in Springfield, MA, in March 2012. Today’s ruling is here. For more information, visit CCR’s case page.

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) is an advocacy network comprised of 18 member organizations committed to advancing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in Uganda. SMUG was founded in 2004 as a non-profit organization. Follow @SMUG2004; Like us at http://www.facebook.com/smug2004
The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change. Visit www.ccrjustice.org; follow @theCCR.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UniBAM at UN: It was about LGBT Politics, Humanity and Defiance

-
Image
Post 19th October, 2016 On September 21st, Belize was placed in a room of power at the United Nations General Assembly side event meeting. An event organized  by the U.N. L.G.B.T Core Group, which includes more than 20 countries and European Union. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders spoke at the meeting alongside Biden.        I had two cool parts to the event, the first was meeting Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koender and discovering the down to earth nature of the man while waiting for Vice President Biden at the door to the hall. Koender made me feel me l so at ease while waiting for Vice-President Biden that I was comfortable enough to speak to Biden sister for a few seconds. I learned latter, the Dutch Foreign Minsiter had passed or near through Belize once, years ago. The highlight of the event for me was meeting Vice President Biden, I had asked
Read more

Dear Silly Straigghtish Belizean men

-
Image
  16/4/2022 16/4/22 Dear Silly Straightish men of Belize: I write to inform you that if you must express your fears behind my back at a bar and be homophobic and verbally violent, you’re not straight, you’re in the closet. If you must be bothered by me going to the bathroom, you’re not straight, your just want the D, but don’t know how to ask. If you need to cut your eye behind my back, while I am a customer too, you’re not straight, you’re just a gay man in waiting or at the worse frustrated because you are experiencing a malfunction with your third leg. When I walk the street, it not your job to police my body, my gender expression or sexuality. Please feel free to take care of your smelly braids, remember to ensure your children have an education, eat and clothes on their back, even if you’re unemployed. If you were clear about pulling down that zipper, you should be clear about how they will eat as they did not ask you to come into this world. Cutting into my business does no
Read more

The Curtains Always fall in Advancing LGBT Rights in Belize, but...

-
Image
 11th September, 2020 "History despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Maya Angelou. In filling section 53 with the leadership of The University of West Indies Rights Advocacy Project was history making in the region. It generated 300 plus interviews over a decade, nationally and numerous references in the international press.    I was on the world stage meeting diplomats, parliamentarians, prime ministers, Lords and Baroness, often, making interventions about strategy and resources that led to five years of grants. We were the first case that helped launch The Human Dignity Trust global mandate to decriminalize same sex intimacy around the world.  The case triggered, constitutional march protest, a menacing message from an old classmate and  threats from evangelical believers in Belize. But this is not about, threats or legal launches or the high level relationships.There were global decriminalization  meetings in Na
Read more