The Gay Star News reports:

Russia’s leading gay activist has filed a lawsuit against a St. Petersburg politician who has accused him of accepting financing from overseas for gay rights campaigns.

Nikolai Alekseev is claiming a million roubles (€25,800, $33,800) in a defamation lawsuit against Vitaly Milonov, the United Russia party deputy and author of the controversial St Petersburg act that prohibits ‘the promotion of homosexuality to minors’ which has now been signed into law.

Milonov also called Alekseev ‘a girl’. But it is the accusation, made on television, that he has been financed by organizations in Brussels, including the Commission of the European Union, that led Alekseev to file the suit.

As many of our readers know, Truth Wins Out has sued Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) for defamation. I am glad to see that Alekseev is also not putting up with the lies. It is my view that our opponents are reprobates who can only win though despicable smear campaigns. They will do and say virtually anything to defeat us — and then misuse religion to justify their ugly lies.

Our opponents should not be allowed to harm us as individuals and hurt our movement by sliming us with defamatory accusations. It is critical that we stand up to these bullies and let them know that we will not tolerate deliberate falsehoods meant to damage individual and collective reputations.