The 'gay world cup': why LGBTQ+ dienc love Eurovisn

Contents:

• COL RATHNIAK: PROFSNAL ICE SKATER TURNED FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF LA RONGE (CANADA)
• HOW EUROVISN BEME A GAY-IENDLY NTT
• ‘HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT EUROVISN IS VERY POPULAR WH GAY PEOPLE?’

COL RATHNIAK: PROFSNAL ICE SKATER TURNED FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF LA RONGE (CANADA)

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. Last year, a rerd five acts the grandfFal nsisted fully or part of out queer performers — cludg wners Månk om Italy, wh bisexual member Victoria De Angelis and “sexually ee” member Ethan Torch.This year’s Eurovisn Grand Fal on Saturday will feature two out queer acts — Iceland’s aforementned Systur and Atralia’s Sheldon Riley — and performanc om several other nttants will telegraph robt endorsements of queer sexualy.Subwoolfer performs Tuday on behalf of Norway.Mar Bertorello / AFP - Getty ImagHostg the extravaganza will also be two beloved out gay stars: sger Mika, who’ll be live om Tur as an onse host for the global dience, and Olympian turned NBC mentator Johnny Weir, who’ll emcee the exclive Amerin feed of the broadst on Peack.

Mar Bertorello / AFP - Getty ImagSystur’s folk ballad Eurovisn entry, “Með hækkandi sól” (“Wh the Risg Sun”), is an o to the promise of the sun’s warmth and light overg the ld darkns of wter.The lyrics of Atralian nttant Sheldon Riley’s song, “Not the Same,” also celebrate light shg through a broken darkns — and have ronated so strongly wh some LGBTQ fans that the song is beg hailed as a gay anthem.“I never really set out for to be an anthem,” Riley told the Netherlands’ OUTtv. “So the ia of beg gay and beg all of those thgs that Eurovisn is so proud of beg wasn’t acceptable for me, was jt this thg that was nstantly prayed over. ‘We pray that Sheldon will be a real man; we pray that Sheldon won’t be gay, will be straight, will have a wife, will have kids.

HOW EUROVISN BEME A GAY-IENDLY NTT

Another key moment me 2014 when Concha (a gay drag queen) brought her genr non-nformg drag to the mass. Cred: APHer 'Rise Like a Phoenix' performance was scribed the prs as "the most genrqueer yet" ntt kicked off the wake of Rsia troducg s "gay propaganda" or "anti-gay" law. The law claimed to protect children om homosexualy, and nmned reprentg LGBT+ liv as a norm society for urse none of the performers ped the evable bigotry aimed at LGBT+ people - there were lls for Eurovisns boytts om some, and offensive remarks ma by certa untry's broadsts of the the msage remaed clear, as Concha clared upon beg award the Eurovisn trophy: "We are uny and we are unstoppable" the LGBT+ fan base for Eurovisn 2023 has livered on that - a big way.

Homovisn Liverpool's Chavasse park scrib self as "20 years of queer art" wh 60 queer artists takg over the event's producer Josiah told 's a celebratn of "beg proud, beg queer and seeg other queer people beg so openly queer on an ternatnal stage, 's really embolng", a performer and fan, scribed the ftival and Eurovisn as "a celebratn of our art, our culture, our muny. Cred: @HomotopiaFtIt's also been an opportuny to promote lol, queer talent. "In Liverpool and Eurovisn there's a big queer muny that love the petn and we have a massive gay scene.

‘HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT EUROVISN IS VERY POPULAR WH GAY PEOPLE?’

'You want to know people have got your back'Wh LGBT+ fans om far and wi arrivg the cy, anisers have ma safe spac to nnect wh others and get away om the htle and btle of the ma Clark opened Pri Hoe Liverpool at the start of the month, a muny pop up that's open for the length of the Herrg, Chief Executive of Liverpool Cy Regn's Pri Foundatn, scribed the celebratns as "gay Christmas" and, as we all know, Christmas n be a strsful time. Is Eurovisn a gay event?

Eurovisn should not be dubbed as a gay event and ’s not related to Pri events around the world whatsoever. Sung by the first openly homosexual woman to participate the Contt (most importantly!).

Dpe the song not beg exclively about gay marriage, Krista wanted to enurage her untry to legalise gay marriage at the time and spe heavy cricism, maly om the Turkish broadster, Krista and one of her backg sgers gave the first lbian kiss on a Eurovisn stage. At least, gay marriage Fland has been legal sce 2017!

You might have missed if you blked but this actually marked the first gay male kiss the history of the Contt.