An Out.com op-ed by pornographer-columnist Michael Lucas has
angered Russian gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev.
Lucas, the founder and CEO of gay adult film studio Lucas
Entertainment, who grew up in Russia, charged Alexeyev with
abandoning gay rights to become a mouthpiece for the Russian
government.
“For years, Alexeyev has been everywhere in the Western news,
getting word out about the darkening situation for LGBT Russians
under [President Vladimir] Putin. … Now Alexeyev has changed his
tune. No longer is he saying that Russian homophobia had reached
hysterical proportions; suddenly, it is the Western reaction to it
that is hysterical.”
“Having spent years seeking foreign interest in his cause,
Alexeyev now says foreigners are an intrusion on Russia. Having
bragged continually of his many interviews in the Western media, and
built a large part of his career on them, he now rails against that
same Western media. Once the most vociferous public opponent of
Russia's ugly antigay laws, he now says their dangers have been
exaggerated by 'the West.' It is indeed a remarkable change.”
Lucas
wrote that Alexeyev had “betrayed his former cause” and was
now a Kremlin stooge. (In fact, the article is titled The
Kremlin's New Pocket Gay.)
In a series of tweets, Alexeyev claimed that Lucas' opinion piece
had set back gay rights in Russia 5-7 years, was the reason for him
leaving activism, and could lead to the dead of his mother.
“I will sue Michael Lucas for this article,” Alexeyev tweeted.
“2 million USD moral damages.”
“All 30 cases at European Court on all aspects of LGBT human
rights violations in Russia will be withdrawn. Thanks to
@MichaelLucasNYC.”
“If my 72yo mum dies because of @MichaelLucasNYC article I will
personally hire a contract killer to kill him. He will not get
unpunished,” he
later added.