The Stop the Hate and Homophobia in Springfield Coalition was formed in January 2011 upon learning that Scott Lively was living and ministering in Springfield.

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Lively is president of the Abiding Truth Ministries, which has been classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and he has been running the Holy Grounds Coffee House. The coalition deplores hateful messages and actions, and calls for community education about the impact of homophobia on our communities, as well as calling for community leaders, neighbors, co-workers, family members, etc. to speak out against homophobia whenever it is perpetrated. The coalition involves a number of community-based organizations, including Arise for Social Justice, Out Now, GetEQUAL MA, as well as local college professors, students, leaders and members of the faith community and individual community members.

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Stop the Hate and Homophobia in Springfield continues to meet every month and combines internal, political education with organizing community events in relation to the impact of the Religious Right, in general, and Scott Lively, specifically. Our work is local, statewide, national and international as we connect with our comrades on the ground from SMUG (Sexual Minorities of Uganda) in Uganda as well as working closely with the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in NY. CCR is the lead attorney on the case, SMUG v. Lively, where Scot Lively has been charged with crimes against humanity.

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For more information, contact Ellen Graves at ellenforpeace@yahoo.com or call the Arise office at 413-734-4948.