Alexey Daydov

Alexey Davydov (also spelled Alexei, , 1976 or 1977 – ) was a Russian pro-democracy and pro-LGBTQ rights activist. With the former, he was involved with the anti-Putin political movement Solidarnost, while with the latter, he cofounded Moscow Pride alongside fellow Russian gay activist Nikolay Alexeyev. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, he was involved in numerous protests and demonstrations around Russia. In September 2013, he died of kidney failure. Following his death, The Huffington Post called him "one of Russia's most prominent LGBT activists", while Julia Ioffe of The New Republic reported that his death had left a "glaring hole" in the LGBTQ rights movement in Russia.

Biography According to Russian activist Nikolay Alexeyev, Davydov had been involved in the Russian LGBTQ rights movement since 2006. Prior to his involvement in that movement, Davydov had been active in pro-democracy protests with Solidarnost, a political group that expressed opposition to Vladimir Putin. According to Gay Star News, in 2007, he co-founded Moscow Pride along with Alexeyev. In June of that same year, Davydov was one of roughly two dozen individuals involved in a planned gay rights protest outside of the offices of the European Union in Moscow. The target of the protest was Yury Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow, who had been an outspoken critic of LGBTQ individuals and, in his capacity as mayor, had banned pride parades in the city. Speaking to the Associated Press, Davydov said, "Authorities in Moscow have broken the law again by not allowing our picket." On 1 June of the following year, Davydov was attacked by members of the National Slavonic Union while speaking to reporters at a Moscow Pride event. In a report prepared by the United States Department of State, they stated that police arrested both the perpetrators and Davydov and did not file any charges against the attackers. and no investigation into the matter was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia. which banned the spreading of "propaganda about non-traditional sexual orientations among minors". he spoke to the American publication The New Republic. in the Novogireyevo District of Moscow. He was receiving dialysis and disability assistance. Davydov had planned to participate, but that morning, he was admitted to the hospital. allowing the organizers to exceed their goals. His funeral was held on Monday, 30 September. During the memorial services for Davydov, anti-gay protestors shouted at mourners, saying, "What are these faggots doing here?" and "Moscow is not Sodom!"

Legacy In their reporting on his death, The Huffington Post called Davydov "one of Russia's most prominent LGBT activists", while The Advocate called him a "leading Russian gay activist". Fellow Russian activist Alekseyev called him "the vanguard of the struggle for human rights in Russia." Concerning his relationship with Alexeyev, The Advocate said that the two had been close confidants, while BuzzFeed News said that Davydov was "widely viewed as a controlling influence" on Alexeyev. Ioffe of The New Republic reported that his death left a "glaring hole" in the LGBTQ movement in Russia, with activist Masha Gessen saying, "He was the creative force behind LGBTA direct action, and this is what makes one realize just how few people there are."