A court in Kostroma, Russia this week awarded embattled, longtime gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev a whopping 3000 roubles ($56.09) in ‘moral damages’ after a Pride event he organized was forcibly cancelled.
The same court ordered authorities to pay Mr Alexeyev over 8000 roubles ($115.13) in October as pecuniary damages and legal fees – bringing the grand total to just $171.22 that comes no where near recovering the costs of the event and the attorney fees.
“It is a label attached to the Russian Federation by other countries, especially by those which have criminal responsibility for people of non-traditional sexual orientation.
Earlier this week Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted the country’s abuse against its LGBT community was made up and totally untrue stating:
“Russia recognizes and does not infringe on the rights of non-traditional sexual orientation. [Homosexuality] is not the choice of our society, but those are people whose rights are not cut. We are not punishing anyone, but traditional family, healthy nation — those are our choices.”
Britan’s famed global gay rights advocate Peter Tatchell has finally distanced himself from Nikolai Alexeyev and has denounced him for his blatant anti-semitism and his hateful public statement against the Jewish community.
In a short comment left two days ago at the Gay City News page for Dour Ireland’s column condemning Alexeyev, Peter has publicly broken ties with Alexeyev after his recent insane rants
“Nikolai WAS a courageous, inspiring activist. He challenged the homophobic Kremlin and Moscow mayor. He did much good for the LGBT cause in Russia. But his anti-Semitic rants are inexcusable. I have asked him many times to explain and apologise but he has not done so. A sad and tragic fall. But there can be no truck with those who promote any form of bigotry. Liberation is for all – not just LGBTs.”
Alexeyev who in the past has staged his own kidnapping has recently gone off the deep end and has been attacking any outside pro-LGBT influence in the fight for Russian LGBT equality because he no longer is in the spotlight and in sole control of the fate of Russia’s gay community.
President Obama plans to meet with several Russian LGBT groups and activists later this week when he visits St. Petersburg to attend the G20 Summit, and Nikolai Alexeyev one of Russia’s most outspoken pro-gay activists has not been asked to attend.
No specific reason has been given, but Alexeyev has lost much credibility outside of Russia and within due to his erratic diva-like behavior and as of late his outspoken antisemitism. Many believe that either Alexeyev’s mental state has disintegrated or that he has been “bought off” by the Russian government
President Obama will be meeting with at least four Russian non-governmental organizations on Thursday at St. Petersburg’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. The groups include veteran human rights activists Lev Ponomarev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, legal aid NGO director Pavel Chikov, and Coming Out, a St. Petersburg-based LGBT organization and LGBT Network.
Meanwhile Alexeyev still continues to make anti-Semitic remarks on Twitter and Facebook blaming the “Jewish Mafia” for his problems and bashing “western” LGBT activists.
Nikolai Alexeyev,Nikolai Alekseev or Nicolay Alexseev (depending who spells it) is back!
His 24 hour diva retirement from LGBT activism over Micheal Lucas’ OUT magazine article is over and today he appeared (to do damage control) on the (Kremlin funded) news organization Russia Today to bash “Western” LGBT’s and say that its really not that bad in Russia with the help of some talking heads and a very passive Peter Thatchell.
In a nutshell we suck and Nikolai is GOD! (Well lately really more like Rasputin)
Gay Russian activist Nikolai Alekseev (Alexeyev) who has been been throwing a series of tantrums of late bashing America for getting involved in the fight Russian LGBT gay human rights, (without asking him) after Vladamir Putin passed a series of sweeping anti-gay Russain laws reminiscent of the anti-Jewish Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany. Alekseev (Alexeyev) has gone off the deep end once again and is now quitting LGBT activism after American activist and gay porn maven Michael Lucas wrote an op-ed for Out.com criticizing him and wondering if there is more behind his recent actions than meets the eye.
Lucas, as a gay Jew who grew up in Russia, argues that Alexeyev might have been either bought off or coerced into becoming the Kremlin’s “pocket gay.” after his recent anti-American behavior and softening view of Russia’s anti-gay laws. Either way, Lucas writes, “he can no longer be trusted as an advocate for LGBT Russians.”
“If “gays are the new Jews” in Russia, as many people have said, then Nikolai Alexeyev is the new Anti-Zionist Committee. Russia is desperate again: The upcoming Sochi Olympics are important to Putin’s sense of his standing in the world, and the international campaign against Russian homophobia is staining them more every day. This campaign is working, and Russia knows it. What better way to slow this movement’s momentum — and to confuse and discourage those in the West who have working for it — than for its most visible advocate to minimize its importance and dismiss it as a Western, anti-Russian plot?”
Lucas’ op-ed of course sent Rasputin Alexeyev into a frenzy not only threatening to sue Lucas but also causing him to act out and quit the Russian LGBT movement. Alexeyev also threatened to “hire a hitman” and kill Lucas because he will “not go unpunished”
A hit man, how very Russian of him.
Regardless of all this drama, I have to say I agree with Micheal Lucas. If not in content but in final statement. As sad as it may be. It has become clear that as long as Alexeyev’s bizarre behavior continues he can no longer be trusted as an advocate and spokesperson for LGBT Russians and equaluity. And it pains me to say that. He has done much good in that county in recent years, but now there is something wrong. Weather its mental problem, alcohol, drugs or perhaps who knows maybe he did sellout until he meets with and talks with LGBT world leaders which he has refused to do.
In my opinion Nikolai Alekseev (Alexeyev) can no longer, and should be trusted.
Strange things have been happening to gay Russian activist Nikolai Alexeyev’s social media accounts causing people to both worry and wonder about both his safety and his sanity.
For the past 24 hours Alexeyev or perhaps people who have hacked his social media accounts and has been masquerading as him, have been making a series of strange postings criticizing ‘Westerners’ for their ‘colonialism’ and ‘imperialism’ towards Russia and making accusations against American bloggers and activists who has criticized him in the past.
Alexeyev has been troubled by American activists actions and boycotts against Russia and has been speaking out against them. LGBT activist and blogger Mike Petrelis of The Petrleis Files in San Francisco has been critical of Alexeyev’s reaction to the “Stoli ” boycott’s and his integrity pointing out that Nicolai himself has recently called for boycotts against Swiss Air and the Eoruovision music contest and suggested that the Russian activist may be over reacting because he was out of the spotlight and not in charge.
Last night a post appeared on Alexeyev’s Facebook page labeling Petrelis as a pedophile.
Perhaps most bizarre of all, is a series of photographs were posted to Alexeyev’s account under the title ‘Kidnapping’. In the album were three “supposed” images of Alexeyev in a bunker-like location dressed only in his underwear. A subsequent status update made reference to a ‘porno contract’. (Please see update at bottom)
Earlier this week, Alexeyev was summoned before a committee to answer charges of libeling two Russian politicians who had played a central role in the introduction of the well know ‘anti-gay propaganda’ law. The timing of the erratic updates has led some of his more ardent supporters to speculate that Alexeyev was, in fact, detained following the hearing and that his account has been hacked by anti-gay Russian forces in an attempt to undermine him but no one knows for sure.
This is the second time that Alexeyev has “disappeared”
Back2Stonewall.com will keep you updated when further information becomes available.
UPDATE: As of 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on Sunday Nikolai Alexeyev Facebook page was deleted his Twitter account @n_alexeyev remains active
UPDATE: Here are some lLstserve comments, courtesy of OBlogDeOBlogDa of (unnamed quotes) from LGBT activists who have know Alexeyev for years:-
(1) ” Nikolai is a part time resident of Russia and spends much time with his very wealthy Swiss banker boyfriend Pierre in Geneva. It is Pierre who funds him, including his first class world travel excursions. There is a web site where folks post info about their world travels and Nikolai has shared many photos of him at exclusive ski resorts and on fancy cruise ships and generally enjoying the high life. I forget the name of that site, but he also used to cross post stories and pix of his travels at his now dormant Live Journal:http://alexeyev.livejournal.com/ “
(2) “I’m disgusted by his Tweets saying there’s no implementation of the law, and that applications from Russian gays in US and Canada for asylum are based on bogus hate at home, and that Masha Gessen has no reason to fear her kids will be taken away, and other messages that could be used by Putin’s regime against gays in Russia. Nikolai has wealth from the Swiss boyfriend and is able to live part time in Switzerland or travel first class anywhere in the world. Thousands of average LGBT Russians lack the means to do that and probably cannot even afford to live on their own. Yet none of that matters as he throws his latest temper tantrum and be assured, the Russian haters closely monitor his online pages and sites.”
(3) “he’s engaging in his usual grand diva way on his Twitter account, something about no longer being involved in politics and also not opposed to Putin: https://twitter.com/n_alexeyev . He has retired more times than Cher has had good-bye tours, and I learned the hard way how not to trust him, what a bully he is, that he’s anti-Semitic and pro-death penalty and a wealthy egomaniac. I doubt he’s been hacked and based on what you wrote sounds like his alienation of supporters has resurfaced. Oh, and remember that his claims of being kidnapped and held (sorta) incommunicado for three days in 2010 has never been independently verified.”
NOTE: I brightened the picture of the “supposed” images of Alexeyev that were too dim to make out if it was really him on Facebook. It does indeed seem to be Nikolai.
Nikolai Alexeyev Russian gay rights activist who disappeared after being arrested at a Moscow airport this week claims to be in Belarus and aims to seek political asylum, according to the Interfax news agency.via The Canadian Press
Nikolai Alexeyev says he was “squeezed out” of Russia under pressure. Interfax says he told the agency by text message that he is in the Belarusian capital Minsk and preparing to seek asylum. Belarius is another politically repressed homosexual state in which Alexeyev has been a key figure in attempting to produce Pride parades and protest which are broken up swiftly and harshly by police.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but opposition to gay rights remains widespread. Moscow’s mayor Yuri Luzhkov has called gays “satanic” and the city routinely denies gay activists permission to rally, saying the gatherings would be dangers to public safety because they would attract violent opposition.
Akexeyev was to have flown to Geneva for a United Nations meeting on gay rights, but never boarded the plane. A spokeswoman for Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport said Alexeyev was barred from the plane Thursday after refusing to take off his shoes at the security check, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
However, Interfax quoted Alexeyev as saying that he was taken from the airport to a police station in an unspecified town, where he was forced to sign a document saying he would withdraw suits he filed with the European Human Rights Court protesting Moscow’s ban of gay rights rallies.
*Gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev of Russia attends a press conference in Moscow. Russian gay rights movement leaders annouced they will go ahead with their planned march despite permission being denied by the Moscow
Chicago activist Andy Thayer with the Gay Liberation Network traveled to Moscow, Russia a week ago and not only participated in but helped organize and report back via blog posts and articles about the preperations for Russian Pride and how they actually pulled it off against all odds without violence or interruption by neo-nazis, the Russian Secret police or the Russian Goverment,
In Andy’s final post from Russia he explains HOW they did it.
As a result of this and other measures, Russian gays and lesbians accomplished their most successful Pride yet – a highly visible event with lots of press coverage, no arrests and no beatings, despite government bans and a police dragnet.
Here is the main purpose of my final blog from Moscow: Now that the action is over we can finally tell the truth about how Moscow Pride activists accomplished this remarkable feat. The aim is to share the experience with other activists within Russia and elsewhere who are facing difficult circumstances. All content of this particular blog have been cleared with Moscow Pride organizers so that no organizers are put in additional jeopardy.
Back2Stonewall wants to congratulate and thank Andy Thayer for his involvement and reporting with Russian Pride and we salute all our LGBT Russian brothers and sisters for thier tenacity and courage in standing up for thier rights and hope and pray that one day that thier oppression will be over.
