Although the Eurovision Song Contest has been accused of lack of humour and style in the past, it has nonetheless remained an important event in Europe since 1956. Brought to life to unite Europe after WW2, it has become one of the most-viewed shows in the world with an average annual audience of 125 million viewers in 45 countries, and about 180 million viewers in 2013 and 2014. And this year, it has become as ground-breaking as ever as Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst takes home the first prize — another step towards reconciling divided groups and beliefs.
Image: nbcnews.com
Although petitions in Russia, Belarus and Armenia were signed to stop her performance from being broadcast in those countries and an anti-Conchita Facebook page got 31,000 likes, the ‘bearded lady’ won the competition with 290 points on 11 May 2014. And, interestingly, in Russia Conchita was the third favourite for text voting. When she was asked what she would say to Vladimir Putin, she said “I don’t know if he’s watching, but if so, I’ve made clear, we’re unstoppable” (channel24.co.za). No matter what the conservatives say, Conchita has pushed through boundaries and given courage to anyone who wants to reach their goals against all odds. Could she be the new LGBT icon for 2014? Have a look at our article on the most influential LGBT people in history. But first, here’s her winning performance of last night:
Image: yle.fi
Image: twitter.com
