Leo Allenby's story: how a gay Chechen tries to rally immigrants in New York

Three years ago, at this time, Leo Allenby arrived in New York. He left Russia after being injured so badly in the attack that he needed surgery, says BK Reader.

As the owner of a gay club in Moscow, Allenby was constantly threatened. When he was eventually subjected to physical attack, the police refused to do anything.

“I tried to get justice, but the police and prosecutors refused to investigate the attack on me because I was the owner of a gay club,” he said. “Moreover, they threatened to hand me over to the authorities in Chechnya, who could have killed me.”

On May 13, 2019, Leo was granted asylum in the United States, but the problems did not end there.

The persecution continued in the United States

Arriving in New York, Allenby faced another attempt at discrimination. He even asked for help to Mayor Bill de Blasio and then President of Brooklyn Borough Eric Adams. He asked them to "enforce the rule of law in Brighton Beach Pride and protect the rights guaranteed to him under the asylum."

The man said that the organization allegedly took the side of the activist, who made discriminatory remarks towards Allenby, threatened him and blackmailed him. According to Leo, he put his life and the lives of his family in Chechnya at risk. He published personal data without consent, namely his name, surname, nationality and sexual orientation. Leo also said that one of the RUSA LGBT co-presidents allegedly prevented him from becoming a member of the organization, depriving him of benefits and access to educational opportunities available to members of this group.

On the subject: Immigrants in New York will be allowed to vote in local elections

Allenby is now working to create a safe, inclusive space for Brooklyn's Russian-speaking queer community.

Uniting the Russian-speaking LGBT community in Brooklyn

December 12th Leo throws a party DISCOtheQue... Its idea is to unite the Russian-speaking LGBT community in New York. The event will also help celebrate Allenby's creative achievements.

Despite the fact that they live in relatively progressive New York, discrimination against queer people still exists in the Russian-speaking communities of Brooklyn, and Leo wants to end it.

Historically, most post-Soviet immigrants, including queer immigrants, have settled in Brooklyn. They are especially abundant in southern areas of Brooklyn such as Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay. However, the majority of queer residents in these areas continue to experience micro-aggression and discrimination. This is due to the lack of LGBT spaces and visibility, HIV stigma and conservative political views.

“There are two parallel worlds: one in English, where many people write“ correct ”things; and one in Russian, where many write openly discriminatory statements, ”Allenby said.

He said that he and others are committed to changing this and showcasing the diversity of the Russian-speaking community. It is diverse, with its members speaking many languages ​​of their home countries. They speak Chechen, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Georgian, Ukrainian - plus Russian and English.

Allenby is already making big strides. In the summer, he helped organize the first Russian-speaking LGBT festival in the United States with the help of 3 Dollar Bill, a queer club in Bushwick.

DISCOTheQue will build on the success of this event. 3 Dollar Bill will open its doors to welcome the most popular artists. Among them:

• the most popular Russian transvestite Zaza Napoli
• Seer La Gioconda
• artists representing Russian hip-hop, rap, pop, house, as well as folk.

Supporting other immigrants in New York

Allenby hails from Chechnya, which is known for its violence against the queer community with the tacit consent of the authorities. There, representatives of the LGBT community are forced to meet in secret, or risk going to prison, torture and murder.

According to Allenby, gay establishments do operate in Moscow. But, if the owners do not cooperate with the authorities, they will quickly be closed.

Allenby, who is HIV positive, said he is grateful to New York and the city's people for the way they are dealing with HIV today.

“New York is very helpful for people living with HIV, including people without official immigration status or before they got one,” he said.

Allenby also contributes through the WE Together Facebook support group. The group provides assistance to new immigrants in the city, especially those with HIV.

For the past three years, he has been throwing parties for the Russian-speaking LGBT community. Events are held in the best gay clubs in the city.

On the subject: The granddaughter of immigrants from Belarus was born and raised in New York: why is she now leaving for Florida

“My first party was at the legendary Russian restaurant in Manhattan, Russian Samovar, known to many from the TV series "Sex and the City"where Carrie Bradshaw met Baryshnikov, ”he said.

Leo's dream is to open a Russian-language gay club in the south of Brooklyn. In his opinion, this will change the intolerant attitude of the Russian-speaking community in New York towards the LGBT community.