Alexei Davydov, Leading Russian Gay Activist, Dead at 36

Davydov was one of the founders of Moscow Pride, and was also diabetic and on dialysis. He died Friday after a prolonged infection led to kidney failure.

Sunnivie Brydum

Sunnivie is the managing editor of The Advocate, and an award-winning journalist whose passion is covering the politics of equality and elevating the unheard stories of our community. Originally from Colorado, she and her spouse now live in Los Angeles, along with their three fur-children: dogs Luna and Cassie Doodle, and "Meow Button" Tilly.

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Sunnivie Brydum

September 28 2013 12:53 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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A leading LGBT activist in Russia died on Friday morning after contracting a fatal infection, the Huffington Post reports. Alexei Davydov was just 36 years old.

Davydov was diabetic and on dialysis, various reports confirm, and last month contracted an infection that led to kidney failure.

In July, Davydov protested Russia's newly passed ban on so-called gay propaganda, carrying a banner that read "Homophobia, the religion of trash," in Moscow's Red Square, according to Buzzfeed. Earlier this month, he stood outside Russia's parliament, the State Duma, dressed as a doctor, and offered to take away deputies for their antigay madness, reports Gay Russia. He had reportedly planned to participate in the Moscow protest earlier this week where 10 LGBT activists were arrested, but was hospitalized that morning.

Davydov was a well-known human rights activist and one of the few close confidants of infamous Russian LGBT activist Nikolai Alexeyev, the outspoken and often volatile gay man known as much for protesting Russia's violent oppression of LGBT people as much as his anti-Semitism.

Davydov co-founded Moscow Pride with Alexeyev in 2007, according to England's Gay Star News, in addition to being a founding member of the country's LGBT Rights group.

"He made an enormous contribution to the Russian LGBT movement since 2006," wrote Alexeyev on his Facebook Friday. "He never cared about arrests and attacks. He just pursued our mutual goal! He has no relatives. He dedicated all his life to activism."