By Melanie Nathan, August 28, 2013.
Michael Lucas wrote a very good article encapsulating the downfall of Nikolai Alekseev, as an activist leader for Russia’s LGBT community, only to provide Alekseev with more fuel for his fire of self destruct. At the same time he may have provided the very excuse Nikolai needs to finally leave LGBT activism as he continues to hurt LGBT Russia with his inflammatory and irrational behavior. If there was any bait to be taken Alekseev took it “hook ,line and sinker,” as they say in the classics! The series of Facebook status updates shows yet another example of just how unstable Nikolai Alekseev is and seems to confirm the nature of what Lucas is asserting.
At first Alekseev says he will not allow the so called Police raid on his apartment deter him from his LGBT equality activism and begs for more money for his organization GayRussia and Pride Moscow, all from the Americans who he has turned on in previous status updates. Mere hours later he notes, that because of an article by Michael Lucas and the criticism of American activists, he will be retiring from LGBT activism.
He also threatens Lucas’s life as well as to withdraw 30 cases from the European Human Rights Court. A later post reflects his diminished status with Moscow Pride. He then notes that he is seeking counsel to sue Michael Lucas in the U.S.A. for libel.
I do believe Alekseev needs a break, like a long departure from the scene. He is too controversial and hurting LGBT standing in Russia. As said before he should relinquish the crown, and whether he is working for Putin or not, does not matter, because he is helping Putin anyway. His behavior over quite some years, has rendered him severely compromised, all at his own bidding.
After writing this I just read 76 Crimes on this issue.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Hamlet Act 3, scene 2, 222–230
Shakespeare always amuses me; there’s wisdom in much of his writings
I am in good company it seems http://76crimes.com/2013/08/28/putin-must-be-delighted-as-lgbt-activists-attack-each-other/ and
http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2013/08/28/russian-activist-nikolai-alexseyev-twitter-meltdown
The glee with which you and other activists have taken in Alexeyev’s public breakdown is incredibly depressing. In the last two weeks you’ve spent more time character assassinating other members of the movement than anything that even begins to look like productive activism – even to that extent that you will cheer on Michael Lucas (of all people), who has a history of publishing the most offensive Islamophobic screeds. Good company, indeed.
I’m no great defender of Alexeyev and his tactics are often flawed, but the utter inability of some members of the ‘movement’ to disagree (on anything) in a way that is even close to respectful or productive is one of the main reasons our enemies are doing do well. When I read the 76 Crimes headline what came to mind wasn’t just Alexeyev, but the likes of Scott Long, Peter Tatchell and yes, the writers of this blog, all who seem far more involved in personal positioning, character assassination and sniping than actually doing anything that could advance the cause of LGBT in Russia or elsewhere.
It’s all so disappointing and dispiriting.
You stand to be corrected John, – I wrote 3 articles about Nikolai because he is dangerous to the LGBT community in Russia and causing him a lot of harm. There is no glee here. Just the imperative point to get across. It is important for the sake and well being of LGBT Russia that when a mainstream journalist Googles Nikolai Alekseev, they see he is a controversial figure, unstable, and that he has placed himself in serious disrepute. The hope is they will stop using the man you admit has lost his capacity to lead. He was doing dangerous and crazy stuff. Now if he is googled there is an alert. This was the ONLY way to do it. That, my friend, is in and of itself activism and advocacy. It was done at great risk and I consulted with a large listserv for advice. I was willing to take the flak.
It is not about sniping, or inner battles it about the facts you readily admit. Nikolai is a problem!
That said, you clearly know very little about me. I do a LOT of pro bono advocacy work for LGBt asylum seekers behind the scenes, AND that news never makes it to this BLOG for obvious reasons. Nikolai made statements that HURT all asylees and the work that many of us are doing. Perhaps you did not see my first piece on the unravelling of Nikolai. It involved his remarks against asylum seekers, so so damaging!
This Blog is unfunded and unpaid work that takes many hours per week. It is used by many and found to be useful in advocacy and activism communities. To be judged on the Nikolai story is uninformed and without any merit.
I did not need any personal positioning – If thats what I wanted I have other stories of what I HAVE DONE that would be more likely to achieve that. Exposing Nikolai who is hurting people because of his standing and the nature of his remarks- I felt I was doing the right thing for the right reasons. To get the word out and hope Nikolai would stop his nonsense that is hurting so many.
Please next time yu comment do your homework …. and if it makes you feel any better I too am on Scott Long’s shit list. Maybe I am doing something right!!!
Oh and by the way, I had ZERO idea who Michael Lucas is. Never met him, never had any dealings with him, never read anything about him until someone sent me his article on Nikolai which I thanked him for because he now has also helped place Nikolai’s name into the controversy it deserves.
This guy is so dangerous- see this via Americsa Blog “In addition to the tweets and Facebook posts, a horrific op ed appeared this week in the Kremlin propaganda rag Russia Today in which “Alexeyev” suggested that the Russian anti-gay “propaganda” law was no big deal because it won’t be implemented much anyway, and that gay Russians seeking asylum in the US were fakes and liars who didn’t deserve asylum because most gays don’t face serious persecution in Russia and/or they’re straight people pretending to be gay. A similar claim was posted on Alexeyev’s Facebook page:”
Not to mention the anti-semitic stuff.
For you to minimize this by calling it ‘assassination within the movement- it is much more – its an activist turned renegade harming LGBT people around the world. What you are saying John is harmful in and of itself John. When will people like you see what harm is actually being caused to LGBT worldwide? Its activist like me on the frontline who MUST speak out. Sorry you cant join me.