'We're not hidg': Gay and lbian Rsians say a cultural shift is unrway

Contents:

• IS EUROVISN A GAY EVENT? LGBT PERFORMANC THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE NTT
• 'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY

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

The global mic world's "gay Olympics" are back wh vengeance, as the fal for the annual wacky tune-filled phenomenon known as the Eurovisn Song Contt will take place Tel Aviv, Israel, on mp athetics are monplace at the always over-the-top Eurovisn, but this year's ntt fal is shapg up as one of s most overtly queer extravaganzas gay, genr-playful, and Mlim teen crooner Bilal Hassani will pete for France, and leather-clad bondage-synth-punk tr Hatari aim to take the crown for Iceland — wh some Eurovisn experts predictg that spe the band's cidly anti-pop approach (or maybe bee of ), they jt might pull off a w. "I'll never stop playg mic to su someone's polil agenda, nor will I stop speakg out agast vlatns of human rights wherever the world they may be, " the sger told Rters on 19-year-old Hassani, merely petg for France as an openly gay Mlim is a statement self, one that's unfortunately been met wh an onslght of social media attacks over both his relign and his Hassani's eedom-embracg Eurovisn song "Roi" ("Kg"), many have seen somethg of a fiant gay anthem.

"I love the sayg 'gay anthem, ' but at the same, 's also a song that's directed toward anyone who may feel margalized or alienated society, " Hassani told NBC Out.

And if, om the top of your head, you n name the specific years that happened, well then you know you are a te homosexual–sorry, Eurovisn fan. This song spoke a subtle msage to the queer muny, at a time when homosexualy was still crimalised many parts of Europe. In Europe, Turkey’s TRT ced Concha Wurst’s 2014 victory as a reason for their whdrawal om the ntt, meanwhile the now-spend Belasian broadster BTRC submted an entry to Eurovisn 2021 which clud suggtively homophobic language.

'WE'RE NOT HIDG': GAY AND LBIAN RSIANS SAY A CULTURAL SHIFT IS UNRWAY

At Melodi Grand Prix 2020, Lisa Vassilieva bid to sg “I Am Gay” for Norway at Eurovisn. No, this was 9 May 2014, one of Copenhagen's gay pubs. It me ls than a year after Vladimir Put passed a law banng children Rsia om learng about homosexualy and the untry's entry was loudly booed by the arena crowd, while others waved the Pri flag for the mera.

It's believed by many terpreters that the song was about a homosexual relatnship, wh ambiguo lyril them about partners facg judgement om those around them amid referenc to hell and irons. A 2019 article by Belgian broadster RTBF took a closer examatn of the text, even clarg a prott song favour of the gay movement, although is never explicly stated that the song is about two source, Getty Imag / KeystoneImage ptn, Jean-Cl Pasl, a French artist reprentg Luxembourg, won the 1961 Contt wh the song No l AmourexThere was a ltle ls subtlety 1986 when host natn Norway field Ketil Stokkan, performg Romeo, wh members of a drag troupe.

By the time Pl Osr of Iceland turned up 1997 as Eurovisn's first openly gay entrant, fans like myself were startg to fd each other the early ter foms. "I would read webs, take part foms, and gradually dawned on me that, actually, probably, most of the people I was teractg wh on there were gay - back then that was the ma LGBTQ+ inty that people had, " she explas. In the north-wt of England, I beme volved regular days (and nights) out where a majory-gay crowd of Eurovisn enthiasts would chat, drk and - ocsnally - see romance blossom.