A long-time proponent of criminalizing homosexuality, Dr. Scott Lively, president of Abiding Truth Ministries (classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group), released a statement today praising the intent of  Uganda’s anti-gay bill, and commending the courage of the Ugandan people.

Let me be absolutely clear. I do not support the proposed anti-homosexuality law as written. It does not emphasize rehabilitation over punishment and the punishment that it calls for is unacceptably harsh. However, if the offending sections were sufficiently modified, the proposed law would represent an encouraging step in the right direction. As one of the first laws of this century to recognize that the destructiveness of the “gay” agenda warrants opposition by government, it would deserve support from Christian believers and other advocates of marriage-based culture around the world.

As has been reported on Rachel Maddow and throughout the gay/progressive blogosphere, Lively wielded considerable influence in the creation of the anti-gay bill, having testified before Ugandan leaders earlier this year. Earlier this week Rachel Maddow aired some pretty damning audio of Lively speaking in Uganda:

In a recent interview with LifeSiteNews, Lively describes the impetus for the bill as “… external interference from European and American gay activists attempting to do in Uganda what they’ve done around the world – homosexualize that society,” and cites a fear that homosexuals are entering their country and abusing boys on the streets.

So in Lively’s reality we are to blame for the anti-gay law in Uganda. Just as we were to blame during the holocaust.

If you would like give Dr. Lively a piece of your reality, you can contact him  at 1-951-834-5933, or via e-mail at [email protected].

Below, some more Lively video prior to his testifying against a transgender hate crimes bill in Massachusetts, where he proceeds to blame us (in part) for the inevitable infrastructure collapse of the United States… roads, bridges that sort of thing. Just incredible.

In an interview with DC Agenda (formerly the Washington Blade), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) did not expect to take up his  “Respect for Marriage Act” until 2011, after other LGBT-focused legislation had been voted on, including the ENDA, DADT and UAFA.

“The Respect for Marriage Act comes up after that, maybe at the end of the next Congress, maybe afterward,” he [Nadler] said.

Nadler’s legislation would overturn DOMA, allowing the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages. It also has a “certainty provision” that would allow same-sex couples to marry in one state and still receive federal benefits even if they move to another state where gay nuptials aren’t recognized.

In lieu of passage in this Congress, Nadler said the task for supporters is to find more co-sponsors for the bill. As of Tuesday, the bill had 105 co-sponsors. Nadler predicted support would grow.

“And I think if some of these other bills pass, it’ll become more — the idea becomes less avant garde,” he said.

Nadler also introduced the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) earlier this year, which would allow gays and lesbians to sponsor their foreign-born partners for citizenship, and is pushing for that legislation to be a part of larger immigration reform in 2010.

“I don’t know what the final comprehensive immigration reform will look like, but I remain optimistic that it will include lesbian and gay families,” he said.

In the event that comprehensive immigration reform legislation doesn’t include UAFA when it debuts, Nadler said he’s working on making sure there are votes in the House Judiciary Committee to amend the bill to include such a provision.

Nadler said he’s “hopeful” there will be enough votes for an amendment, but added “that’ll be a big fight, if necessary.”

“I haven’t taken any votes or whip counts or done any kind of that work, but certainly it will be something that we’ll have to work at and the gay community and everybody will have to be pressuring the individual members of the committee,” Nadler said. “A lot of the members of the committee, the Democratic members especially, say they’re very great friends with the gay community … and this’ll be an opportunity to show that they are, bar none.”

When asked if he would support immigration reform without a UAFA or similar provision, Nadler reponded “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

So do we.

In response to a letter co-authored by Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned Uganda’s anti-gay bill which would authorize the death penalty to homosexuals under certain conditions, and harsh prison sentences for all the others. From HRC Back Story:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that she shares Capitol Hill’s concerns that Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill would “create fear, promote hatred, and potentially divide communities” in Uganda. Moreover, she stated that “the United States has urged Uganda to take all necessary measures to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, harassment, or discrimination.” According to the Secretary’s letter, she continues to monitor the bill and will continue to speak directly about the bill with Ugandan officials, human rights activists, and international donors.

Hopefully this will be a part of a more concerted effort to get the Ugandan government to back down on this awful bill. Or it may backfire, as Uganda doesn’t take kindly to criticism from the West.

Rachel Maddow did some in-depth reporting last night on Uganda’s anti-gay bill, calling out those who inspired it, and those who might have the influence to stop it. Watch: