Anti-gay activist Scott Lively has rejected the claim that gay rights are human rights.

Lively, founder of Defend the Family International, and Peter LaBarbera of the Illinois-based Americans for Truth about Homosexuality (AFTAH) last week held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington to announce formation of the Coalition for Family Values to “more effectively oppose the now-global LGBT agenda.”

Lively is best known for playing a key role in pushing for tough anti-gay legislation in Uganda.

(Related: Yoweri Museveni signs Ugandan anti-gay bill.)

Michel Martin, host of NPR's Tell Me More, asked lively why he was focused on speaking out against gay rights.

“[W]hen you say that homosexuality is morally wrong and harmful for the people who practice it and for society, then the gay bullies come out and try to destroy you,” Lively responded. “So there aren't very many people willing to do that, and I'm one of the few that does. You know, if you look at what's happened over the past 20 years in the United States, every person who stands up – even if they just say that marriage is between a man and a woman, the gays try to destroy them. These guys are serious bullies.”

“Well, you know, this law, though, has been denounced by the United Nations, by U.S. officials, including the Secretary of State and the president,” Martin pointed out. “A number of European nations have said that they're suspending aid to the country because they believe that this is a fundamental violation of human rights, particularly to criminalize relations between consenting adults. Are they all gay bullies?”

“Well, you're talking about government agencies,” Lively answered. “It's a little different than gay activists. Although, there are gay activists in government, and often they are bullies. But to get to the whole point about human rights, that's just simply nonsense. Sodomy is not a human right. I'm an attorney. I majored in human rights, and I can tell you that was – this idea that homosexual sodomy represents a human right is a brand-new invention of the late – latter part of the 20th century by hard-left cultural Marxists. And it actually supplants genuine human rights for religious freedom and family values.”

Lively insisted that it is “not irrational to discriminate” against gays, then later added that he “love[s] gay people.”

“I wish they weren't doing what they were doing. And I don't want them to be harmed or hurt. I've never preached hatred or violence against them,” Lively said.