A Ugandan LGBTQ rights group has filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court against a Massachusetts-based evangelist, Scott Lively, for violating international law by inciting the persecution of gay men and lesbians in Uganda.

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is representing the organization Sexual Minorities in Uganda (SMUG), using the Alien Tort Statute (ATS),  “a powerful legal tool that allows foreign victims of human rights abuse – in this case SMUG – to seek civil remedies in U.S. courts.

SMUG is suing Scott Lively for the persecution they have faced as a result of his involvement in a conspiracy to deprive them of their rights based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.” CCR explains that “Persecution is defined in international law as the ‘intentional and severe ...