Nadezhda Tolokonnikova Instagram – I’m working on a little memoir that covers 1989-2014, and the memoir is being turned into a TV series. Much broader than Pussy Riot’s history, my notes are dedicated to my very personal Russia – queer, quirky, kind, creative, idealistic – the one that lives in exile, jails or closets today. We’ve lost some battles, but we still exist. Why Now? My message is the same now as it always was – Putin is a dangerous and morally bankrupt man. He and his supporters must be treated as such. We’ve seen heinous acts of violence in Ukraine, but bipartisan support in the west has slipped into the more of “it’s complicated”. It is not complicated, he must be stopped. I was only twenty-years-old and a broke philosophy student, but I thought it’s a good idea to speak up. I’ll speak up now, while my friends are being bombed, imprisoned, poisoned by this pathetic dictator – and I hope to bring this clarity with my story. I don’t want to paint some picture like we were special, I want to inspire anyone to speak up for what is right, even if the consequences are not so nice. Why Sophie Watts? Sophie is a powerhouse and doesn’t back down from challenges. My story is inherently political, that can be a bad word in America, but she has shown no hesitation. Also Sophie is a proud, openly gay woman. A little bonus fuck you to Russia’s anti-extremist law that just went into effect. While gay bars are being raided in Moscow, here I have a chance to work with an openly gay woman who can help me bring a megaphone to my story. Though Putin is still in power, his plans to silence us keep backfiring.