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.

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:

8: The Mormon Proposition, a documentary exploring the role of the LDS Church in the passage of Proposition 8, will make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, deep in the Mormon heartland. From the Salt Lake Tribute:

“We’re bringing the pain of this home,” said Reed Cowan, who directed “8: The Mormon Proposition,” which will have its world premiere next month in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival.

Cowan’s documentary is one of more than 50 titles announced Dec. 3 in the festival’s non-competitive slate.

“It’s really well done, and it’s really thorough,” festival director John Cooper said. “[Cowan] goes very deep, into the Mormon Church and its relationship to the anti-gay-marriage movement, all the way back almost before it really started, all the way back to the ’90s.”

The movie chronicles the 2008 campaign for Prop. 8, which overturned a court decision to allow same-sex marriage in California. In the film, Cowan tracks the LDS Church’s involvement with the Yes on 8 forces — and reveals what the film’s producer/editor Steven Greenstreet calls “an orchestrated strategic campaign” by the church to pass similar ballot measures in other states over the past two decades.

The LDS Church had no comment on the film, a spokesman said Thursday.

The trailer for the film is below.

In a bill introduced today by Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings, enlisted gay and lesbian soldiers could testify against DADT without  fear of retribution. From Hasting’s website:

The Honest and Open Testimony Act expands current whistleblower protections between members of the Armed Forces and Members of Congress to include communications from active-duty service members who testify concerning Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in a Congressional hearing, as well as those who do so and disclose their sexual orientation.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell hurts our troops, runs counter to the values of our Armed Forces, and threatens our national security.  Since the law was implemented in 1994, over 13,500 qualified service members have been lost to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and counting.  Furthermore, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell continues to undermine and demoralize the more than 65,000 GLBT Americans currently serving on active duty,” said Hastings.

“As the United States continues to work toward responsibly ending the war in Iraq and reengages the threat from al Qaeda in Afghanistan, our GLBT service members offer invaluable skills that enhance our military’s potency and readiness.  They are linguists, aviators, medics, and highly-trained soldiers who are involved in valuable operations that have nothing to do with their sexual orientation and everything to do with protecting our freedom and advancing our national security interests.

Hastings is a long time opponent of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Back in September he introduced an amendment to a defense appropriations bill which would have cut off funding for future DADT investigations. His appearance on Rachel Maddow below.