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Eurovision is a great ambassador for global equality and human rightsMonty Moncrieff is the chief executive of London Friend, the UK’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity. He also co-hosts Second Cherry - Almost a Eurovision Podcast.
It’s been 25 years since I watched transgender performer Dana International win Eurovision in Britain. I’m so proud to see the contest continue to embrace LGBTQ+ people.
I am what could be described as a Eurovision supergeek. No, really - it’s almost taken over half of my life.
As well as going to the contest most years, I can be found at loads of Eurovision-themed events and club nights all year around. I even do a podcast about the songs that tried to get to Eurovision and failed to get a second chance. See, I told you it was geeky.
I love Eurovision for the fun factor, and the community it brings. I’m also particularly interested in how and why the contest is so closely linked to queer culture.
It might be easy to think Eurovision and the LGBTQ+ community go together due to the camp performances and glitz we see on stage, but this is a superficial interpretation. Eurovision has long been a platform where LGBTQ+ artists are celebrated and LGBTQ+ fans are specifically included and welcomed.
In 1961, Jean-Claude Pascal won the contest with “Nous Les Amoureux”, a song about two lovers unable to be together because of society’s views. At a time when gay people were forced to live their lives in the shadows, LGBTQ+ people knew exactly how to read that kind of coded message.
Then in 1998, Eurovision had its first great public display of LGBTQ+ inclusion when Dana International, an openly trans woman, won for Israel with her club anthem “Diva”.
That such an openly proud trans woman could represent Israel at all was remarkable - and not without deep controversy in her homeland. Winning without her trans status being an issue was nothing short of astonishing. Even today, she remains one of the most well-known openly trans people globally.
Dana’s winning year was the first time I attended a Eurovision event in person. I went to the dress rehearsal, and it was a dream come true to see the dry run for one of the most incredible moments of Eurovision history.
This year I’m in Liverpool celebrating my Eurovision ‘Silver Jubilee’ 25 years later. I feel hugely proud to see how the contest has continued to embrace LGBTQ+ people as fans and performers.
Nowadays, the UK is mostly a better place for LGBTQ+ people, having seen huge legislative changes in areas like same-sex marriage and gender recognition. Socially, attitudes have mostly changed for the better too.
I like to think that Dana’s win paved the way for better awareness and acceptance of trans people, seen in events like Nadia Almada winning Big Brother in 2004 and the warmth shown to reality stars like in Channel 4’s “My Transsexual Summer”.
In 2014, Eurovision delivered again as the bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst triumphed and became an instant advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
But for all the advances we’ve had, hard-won rights remain at risk and our very visibility is turning voices against us. This is something that can be felt across all strands of our LGBTQ+ communities, but nowhere more keenly than among trans and non-binary people.
In many ways, the UK has gone back to attitudes I’d hoped we had left behind, with LGBTQ+ people accused of being a danger to society, and particularly to young people, with dangerous rhetoric and terms such as “groomer” being thrown at us to influence public opinion.
The joy and optimism I felt after Dana International’s victory was vast and I hope it will happen again. Of course, Eurovision itself can’t enact social change - that has to come from society and governments - but it has the power to introduce change by exposing audiences to people different from themselves.
Liverpool is ensuring LGBTQ+ people are welcome in the city with initiatives to ensure our safety. It is a reminder that they understand how big a part we play in Eurovision’s diverse community of fans and one that doesn’t lose sight of the risks we still find ourselves to face.
I hope the contest can continue to be a leader in championing LGBTQ+ visibility and a catalyst for broader social change.
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