The Eurovision Song Contest now in its 67th Year is probably one of the kitschiest TV programs ever. The contest is one of the longest-running television programs in the world and among the world’s most-watched non-sporting events. A total of 52 countries have taken part in at least one edition, with a record 43 countries …… but If you are good at geography you may have realized that is far more than the continent of Europe. It’s one of the many oddities about Eurovision that it has been won by Azerbaijan, Russia, and three times by Israel and Ukraine.
Besides launching ABBA onto the world it has been the means for the UK to introduce such ‘classics” such as “Save All Your Kisses For Me‘ ‘Boom Bang A Bang‘ and ‘Making Your Mind Up‘. In the days one of the show’s regular presenters was Katie Boyle, (Lady Saunders) who despite her upper-class Englishness was Italian by birth. Somewhere hidden away in the TV archives will be the infamous year she compered the program more than a tad drunk and endeared us all to her. Well, at least her legion of gay fans.
With its big sparkly sets and its rather outrageous productions, it has always seemed the perfect event for queer performers. In 1986 Norwegian singer Ketil Stokkan made history by performing alongside the drag troupe the Great Garlic Girls. Paul Oscar was the first out-gay Eurovision artist to take to the stage in his own right for Iceland in 1997, The winner that year was Katrina and The Waves although Katrina wasn’t actually out then. (Similar to the 1968 winner Cliff Richard of the UK who sang Congratulations who we are still waiting to come out ! )
In 1998 trans-singer Dana International representing Israel won with the song “Diva“. However, the queerest year so far is 2007. That year Denmark’s entry DQ, was a drag performer with her campy Eurobop “Drama Queen”, Ukraine’s Verka Serduchka, a comedy drag performer performed “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” coming losing out to Serbia’s Marija Šerifović, who served some major queer energy with her besuited Balkan ballad “Molitva”. 1n 2013 Loreen won Eurovision for Sweden with “Euphoria”, and she came out as bisexual 5 years later
That same year Krista Siegfrids from Finland with her campy pop bop, utilized her entire performance as a not-particularly-subtle protest in favor of equal marriage, which skirted right under Eurovision’s rules banning political gestures. Then in 2014, the bearded Austrian drag artist known as Conchita Wurst stepped onto the stage in Copenhagen and would go on to become a true symbol of the contest’s inclusiveness
As she raised the trophy, Conchita declared: “This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom. You know who you are – we are unity and we are unstoppable.”
In 2015 Monika Linkytė and Vaidas Baumila from Lithuania performed ‘This Time’ where there were simultaneous male-male, male-female, and female-female kisses. In 2018 Irish Ryan O’Shaughnessy won us over with a sensitive
ballad about a failed relationship, with the singer accompanied on stage by two dancers re-enacting a same-sex love story – holding hands and sharing an intimate moment as they fall in love
In 2019 19-year-old queer Muslim Bilal Hussein performed “Roi”, meaning “King” in French, and sent a powerful message of self-acceptance – and it featured deaf and plus-size dancers. Lost Love was the subject of the ballad by bisexual Duncan Laurence who won for the Netherlands in 2019. Then in 2021 it was the turn of Italy when queer rockers Måneskin performed their song “Zitti E Buoni”
This year was the turn of Ukraine to host Eurovision but the war with Russia put an end to it, so Liverpool in the UK stepped in as the host city. With the contest already underway one of the semi-finalists is already a stand-out: 30-year-old out-gay man Luke Black from Serbia performing Samo mi se spava“. Maybe he will be the next queer winner
First Semi-FinalTuesday, 09 May, 2023, 21:00 Second Semi-FinalThursday, 11 May, 2023, 21:00 Grand FinalSaturday, 13 May, 2023, 21:00 Venue & Location Liverpool Arena, Liverpool Eurovision 2023 - Streaming Only on Peacock
