LGBT visibility in the Eurovision Song Contest

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Photograph of Dana International during a performance
Dana International, the contest's first trans participant, and winner of the 1998 contest for Israel

The Eurovision Song Contest has had a long-held fan base in the LGBT community, and Eurovision organisers have actively worked to include these fans in the contest since the 1990s.[1]

LGBT participants[]

Paul Oscar became the contest's first openly gay artist when he represented Iceland at the 1997 contest. Katrina Leskanich, who won representing the United Kingdom as lead singer of the group Katrina and the Waves later came out.[2] The following year, Israel's Dana International, the contest's first trans performer, became the first trans artist to win the contest in 1998.[3][4] Several open members of the LGBT+ community have since gone on to compete and win the contest: Conchita Wurst, the drag persona of openly gay Thomas Neuwirth, won the 2014 contest for Austria; and openly bisexual performer Duncan Laurence was the winner of the 2019 contest for the Netherlands.[5][6] Marija Šerifović, who won the 2007 contest for Serbia, subsequently came out publicly as a lesbian in 2013.[7] Loreen, who won the 2012 contest for Sweden, came out as bisexual in 2017.[8] Victoria De Angelis, a member of the 2021 Italian winning band Måneskin, openly identifies as bisexual, with fellow band member Ethan Torchio self-identifying as "sexually free".[9]

In 2011, the United Kingdom was represented by Blue. Members Duncan James and Lee Ryan identify as gay and bisexual, respectively.[10][11]

In 2016, Israel was represented by Hovi Star who is openly gay.[12] Douwe Bob, who represented the Netherlands, identifies as bisexual.[13]

Slavko Kalezić, who represented Montenegro in 2017, is openly gay.[14]

Saara Aalto, who represented Finland in 2018, identifies as a lesbian.[15] Mélovin, who represented Ukraine, came out as bisexual in 2021.[16]

Bilal Hassani, who represented France in 2019, identifies as queer.[17] Tom Hugo, who represented Norway as a member of the group KEiiNO, is openly gay.[18]

2021 participants who identify as LGBT include Montaigne from Australia, who openly identifies as bisexual,[19] Lesley Roy from Ireland, who is a lesbian,[20] Vasil Garvanliev from North Macedonia, Jeangu Macrooy from the Netherlands, and Jendrik Sigwart from Germany, who identify as gay,[21][22][23] and Roxen from Romania who identifies as non-binary.[24] Hulda Kristín Kolbrúnardóttir, a singer in the band Gagnamagnið, who represented Iceland, identifies as pansexual.[25]

Several presenters of the Eurovision Song Contest have also identified as LGBT, including Assi Azar, who hosted in Israel in 2019,[26] and Nikkie de Jager, who hosted in the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021. De Jager was the first transgender person to host the contest.[27]

LGBT themes in competing acts[]

Past competing songs and performances have included references and allusions to same-sex relationships. One of the contest's earliest winning songs, Luxembourg's 1961 winner "Nous les amoureux", was confirmed by its performer Jean-Claude Pascal as containing references to a homosexual relationship and the difficulties faced by the pair, considered controversial during the early 1960s when in many European countries homosexual relations were still criminalised.[28] Krista Siegfrids' performance of "Marry Me" at the 2013 contest featured a same-sex kiss with one of her female backing dancers, and Ireland's stage show of Ryan O'Shaughnessy's "Together" in 2018 featured two male dancers portraying a same-sex relationship.[29][30] Several drag performances have featured in Eurovision performances, including Austria's Conchita Wurst, Ukraine's Verka Serduchka, Denmark's DQ and Slovenia's Sestre;[31] the latter's selection sparked protests and debate on LGBT rights in Slovenia at the time and resulted in concerns raised at the European Parliament ahead of Slovenia's upcoming accession to the European Union.[32][33]

Criticism of LGBT visibility[]

Dana International's selection for the 1998 contest in Birmingham was marked by objections and death threats from orthodox religious sections of Israeli society, and at the contest her accommodation was reportedly in the only hotel in Birmingham with bulletproof windows.[34][35]

In more recent years, various political ideologies across Europe have clashed in the Eurovision setting, particularly on LGBT rights. Turkey, once a regular participant in the contest and a one-time winner, first pulled out of the contest in 2013, citing dissatisfaction in the voting rules; more recently when asked about returning to the contest Turkish broadcaster TRT have cited LGBT performances as another reason for their continued boycott.[36][37] After initially planning on airing the 2013 contest, TRT eventually pulled its broadcast of the event in response to Krista Siegfrids's same-sex kiss.[38] It has also been reported that LGBT visibility in the contest was also a deciding factor when Hungary chose not to enter the 2020 contest amid a rise in anti-LGBT sentiment in the Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán, although no official reason has been given by the Hungarian broadcaster MTVA.[39][40]

Following the introduction of a "gay propaganda" law in Russia in 2013, as well as developments in Ukraine, the 2014 contest saw a marked increase in booing from the audience, particularly during the Russian performance and during the voting when Russia received points.[41][42] Conchita Wurst's win in the contest was also met with criticism on the Russian political stage, with several conservative politicians voicing displeasure in the result.[43] In response to the booing, the producers of the 2015 contest installed "anti-booing technology" for the broadcast, and the contest's presenters repeatedly called on the audience not to boo; the Russian participant, Polina Gagarina, was interviewed by Conchita in the green room during a break in the voting, and attracted criticism from Russian conservatives when she posted a backstage video to social media of herself hugging Conchita.[44][45]

Clashes on LGBT visibility in the contest have also occurred in countries which do not compete in the contest. Eurovision had been broadcast in China for several years, however in 2018, the rights held by Mango TV were terminated during the 2018 contest.[46] The live broadcast of the first semi-final featured censorship by Mango TV of Ireland's Ryan O'Shaughnessy, whose performance reportedly went against Chinese guidelines that prohibit "abnormal sexual relationships and behaviours" due to the same-sex dancing, as well as Albania's Eugent Bushpepa due to the open display of tattoos, which broke guidelines around the featuring so-called "sub-cultures" and "dispirited cultures".[47] As a result of the termination, the Chinese broadcaster was unable to broadcast the second semi-final or the grand final of the 2018 contest or any future contests.[48]

References[]

  1. ^ "How Eurovision became a gay-friendly contest". France 24. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  2. ^ https://www.thegayuk.com/interview-katrina-leskanich/
  3. ^ West 2020, pp. 191–195.
  4. ^ "Eurovision Song Contest: Birmingham 1998". Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  5. ^ Bromwich, Kathryn (6 July 2014). "Conchita Wurst: 'Most artists are sensitive and insecure people. I am too'". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  6. ^ Moore, Matt (18 May 2019). "Dutch Eurovision contestant Duncan Laurence comes out as bisexual". Gay Times. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  7. ^ "I Am A Lesbian! – Marija Serifovic Opens Up in Her Film "Confession"". InSerbia News. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Eurovision winner Loreen comes out as bisexual". Topics. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  9. ^ Parente, Luca (12 February 2021). "Sanremo 2021, i Maneskin si spogliano e parlano di libertà sessuale". NEG Zone (in Italian). Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  10. ^ Akingbade, Tobi (2019-07-22). "Duncan James 'proud to be gay' as he reveals new boyfriend Rodrigo Reis". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  11. ^ "'I Sleep With Duncan All The Time'". HuffPost UK. 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  12. ^ staff, T. O. I. "Israeli entrant to Eurovision says humiliated at Russian airport for being gay". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  13. ^ Granger, Anthony (2016-03-10). "Netherlands: Douwe Bob Comes Out As Bi". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  14. ^ "Montenegro Eurovision Singer Hits Wrong Note Back Home". Balkan Insight. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  15. ^ "Saara Alto opens up about her sexuality as she poses in stunning new photo shoot". Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  16. ^ "Ukraine: "I showed my essence" - MELOVIN comes out, kisses a woman and a man on stage at Atlas Weekend festival". wiwibloggs. 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  17. ^ "Le youtubeur Bilal Hassani, idole queer des jeunes, représentera la France à l'Eurovision". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  18. ^ Shalom, Nir Raz (2018-12-04). "Congrats to "Tom Hugo" Married His Partner Today". ESCBEAT. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  19. ^ https://twitter.com/actualmontaigne/status/1308748804649181185?lang=en
  20. ^ "'I pushed being gay deep down inside me' - Eurovision hopeful Lesley Roy". independent. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  21. ^ "Eurovision's Vasil is ready to be a voice for LGBTQ people in North Macedonia and the Balkans". Attitude.co.uk. 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  22. ^ "Jeangu Macrooy: 10 facts about the Netherlands' Eurovision 2021 singer". wiwibloggs. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  23. ^ "Jendrik Sigwart privat: Mit Freund Jan in Rotterdam? Das ist unser ESC-Kandidat 2021". News.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  24. ^ "Eurovision star Roxen comes out as non-binary in powerfully frank chat with fans". Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  25. ^ Kelly, Emma (2021-05-21). "Iceland's Eurovision entry warms queer hearts as singer waves pansexual flag". Metro. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  26. ^ University. "ASSI AZAR: Israeli TV personality and gay rights advocate". Cornell. Office of Web Communications, Cornell University. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  27. ^ "'Eurovision' gets first transgender host in YouTube star Nikkie de Jager". SBS Your Language. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  28. ^ "" Nous les amoureux " de Jean-Claude Pascal, une chanson qui annonce la révolution du mouvement gay..." La Première (in French). 16 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  29. ^ "Eurovision 2013 final underway amid lesbian kiss controversy". dw.com. Deutsche Welle. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  30. ^ Reynolds, Daniel (9 May 2018). "Ireland's Gay Dance on Eurovision Shows World That 'Love Is Love'". advocate.com. The Advocate. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  31. ^ Jordan, Paul (24 October 2016). "Life's a drag! Eurovision queens past and present". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Transvestite Sisters stir Eurovision storm". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 5 March 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  33. ^ Banks, Martin (6 March 2002). "Transvestite Eurosong win sparks Slovenia accession doubts". politico.eu. Politico. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  34. ^ O'Connor 2010, pp. 152–155.
  35. ^ "Transsexual singer stirs up passions". BBC News. BBC. 10 May 1998. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  36. ^ "Turkey to return Eurovision 'if no more bearded divas'". Hürriyet Daily News. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  37. ^ Marshall, Alex (18 March 2020). "Eurovision Song Contest Is Canceled Over Coronavirus Concerns". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2020. In 2018, the head of Turkey's public broadcaster said the boycott was also partly because some past winners, including the drag queen Conchita Wurst, had gone against Turkey's social values.
  38. ^ Morgan, Joe (16 May 2013). "Turkey cancels Eurovision Song Contest over lesbian kiss". Gay Star News. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  39. ^ Walker, Shaun; Garamvolgyi, Flora (27 November 2019). "Hungary pulls out of Eurovision amid rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  40. ^ Kozlov, Vladimir (29 November 2019). "Hungary Exits 2020 Eurovision Over Contest's LGBT-Friendly Policies: Report". Billboard. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  41. ^ West 2020, pp. 283–286.
  42. ^ Nelson, Fraser (11 May 2014). "Eurovision 2014: the booing of Russia was a disgrace". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  43. ^ Davies, Caroline (11 May 2014). "Conchita Wurst pledges to promote tolerance after jubilant welcome home". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  44. ^ West 2020, pp. 287–291.
  45. ^ Aubusson (24 May 2015). "Eurovision 2015: Anti-booing technology deployed to protect Russian contestant". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  46. ^ "Eurovision 2013 reaches China". Eurovision Song Contest. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  47. ^ Royston, Benny (10 May 2018). "China banned from broadcasting Eurovision after cutting same-sex dance and tattooed singer". Metro. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  48. ^ Bakker, Sietse (10 May 2018). "EBU terminates this year's partnership with Mango TV". Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved 7 July 2020.

Sources:

  • West, Chris (2020). Eurovision! A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest (2nd ed.). London: Melville House UK. ISBN 978-1-911545-55-2.

External links[]

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