Support The Moscow Times!

Gay Activist Sues Over 'Girl' Remark

A leading gay rights activist filed a defamation lawsuit Sunday against a St. Petersburg city lawmaker who had accused him of accepting financing from abroad and called him "a girl."

Nikolai Alexeyev, organizer of gay pride parades in Moscow, filed the 1 million ruble ($34,000) lawsuit in a St. Petersburg district court against Vitaly Milonov, a United Russia deputy and author of a controversial bill prohibiting "the promotion of homosexualism to minors," Alexeyev said on his LiveJournal blog.

Milonov had lashed out after Alexeyev announced plans to protest the bill once it becomes law with rallies outside kindergartens and secondary schools.

Milonov told Piter.TV, a local Internet television station, on March 2 that Alexeyev "urgently needs to justify the money that he has received in the form of Western grants. … Therefore … he is intentionally planning a provocation."

Milonov also said he didn't know Alexeyev's age but that "you don't usually ask girls about this."

On Sunday, St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko signed the bill into law, and it will go into effect 10 days after its official publication.

The legislation effectively outlaws gay pride parades and any other public display or discussion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, equaling such displays to pedophilia.

The law introduces fines for promoting homosexualism to minors: up to 5,000 rubles ($170) for individuals; up to 50,000 rubles ($1,725) for officials; and up to 500,000 rubles ($17,250) for legal entities.

The legislation doesn't conform to Russia's international obligations, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Alexeyev said.

Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, previously called on Poltavchenko to veto the bill, saying it "only serves to stoke existing homophobic sentiment in society" and "sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression more generally."

Most of the Russian populace remains vehemently anti-gay, and authorities have thrown out requests to hold gay pride rallies for years. Unsanctioned events have led to crackdowns by riot police and nationalists.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more