Is Eurovisn a gay event? LGBT performanc throughout the history of the ntt – ESCBubble

Contents:

• FLAND’S EUROVISN ENTRY IS A BOLD POLIL STATEMENT ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE
• IS EUROVISN A GAY EVENT? LGBT PERFORMANC THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE NTT

FLAND’S EUROVISN ENTRY IS A BOLD POLIL STATEMENT ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE

The first LGBTQ-themed performance at Eurovisn me at the 1986 ntt, two years before Sectn 28 would ban all mentn of homosexualy Brish schools. Pl Osr was the first out gay Eurovisn artist to take to the stage his own right for Iceland 1997, and the hts of what the ntt uld bee emerged — PVC troers, jewels, eye shadow and all. U, who aggrsively cultivated a lbian image, have a particularly ntroversial place the history of queer pop mic — not least bee former member Julia Volkova, who prevly intified as bisexual, has sce ma extreme homophobic ments.

But they channelled much more (arguably-appropriated) queer energy durg their terval eback at the 2009 ntt Mosw, performg “Not Gonna Get Us” wh the Red Army Choir ont of a pk flowery tank – probably not the image that Vladimir Put would seek to project the days a post-‘gay propaganda’ law Rsia. But Bilal Hassani, who is queer and was born to a Mlim fay, did so after facg months of homophobic and racist abe onle. Meanwhile, Mika – who is gay – is one of the hosts of the 2022 ntt, meang we have yet more queer reprentatn among the Eurovisn hosts this year.

The over-the-top pop mic extravaganza known as the Eurovisn Song Contt has long been somethg of an annual holiday for European gays, one where mp reigns and flamboyance is queen, as the natns of Europe (and now Atralia) battle out for tuneful recent years, the pan-ntental petn has creasgly also bee more than that —openly showsg a broad range of LGBTQ inti, and servg as a powerful bean of equaly to dienc across Europe and far beyond, while urtg a fair b of ntroversy the procs. Eurovisn 2018 is arguably the most broadly and unapologetilly LGBTQ edn to date, wh both the first-ever out lbian nttant (Fland's Saara Aalto) and an on-stage gay romance (urty of Ireland's Ryan O'Shghnsy).

IS EUROVISN A GAY EVENT? LGBT PERFORMANC THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE NTT

Francis Leong / AFP - Getty Imag"Ryan's on-stage performance is the cleart pictn of gay love that we've ever seen at Eurovisn, " William Lee Adams, founr of popular Eurovisn Song Contt webse Wiwibloggs, told NBC News. He's allowg gay love and straight love to share the stage. Meanwhile Rsia, no iend of LGBTQ visibily recent years wh s notor "gay propaganda" laws, seems to have blked the face of openly queer reprentatn at Eurovisn this year.

"Gay people — even if they aren't fully aware of their sexual orientatn — n intify wh the glz and glam and flamboyance of Eurovisn stars, " Adams said. "Perhaps they reprent a sense of eedom and emancipatn that gay men and women crave.

Eurovisn is like gay pri — a safe place to let all hang out. "Concha was a target of abe not only om straight people, but also gay people who said she prented a 'eakish' image of the LGBT muny, " said Adams. She's my favore for makg the gay muny look at self and what nsirs normal.