Conchita Wurst Performs At Tel Aviv Pride

(Tipped by JMG reader Lynda)

RUSSIA: Anti-Gay Pol Calls Eurovision Star "Traitor To The Motherland" For Daring To Hug And Defend Conchita Wurst

Last month Russia's Polina Gagarina took second place at Eurovision 2015, earning the highest score in her nation's history, including when they won in 2008. But according to notorious anti-gay nutjob Vitaly Milonov, she is a "traitor to the motherland" for hugging Conchita Wurst at the contest and then defending Conchita against critics. Here is Milonov's rant:

Who gave her the right to represent Russia? She represents only the private media structure, where Christian values are not on the first place. The results are always falsified, the winner of Eurovision has no relation to talent. When Russia proclaimed its Christian values and went against the propoganda of sodomy, a bearded pervert in women’s clothes went on to win Eurovision. Why did Gagarina, a married woman, kiss another man? What is so precious in hugging a mentally sick pervert? It was on purpose, because this is a condition of the contest to push a country as deep as possible, excuse me, into Euro-shit, using crude ways to affect the teenagers. I criticised Gagarina’s kiss with this pervert, which she was doing with the name of Russia, but she immediately started arguing with us. Gagarina became part of the propaganda and she is a traitor of the Motherland – she betrayed Russia for some carpets, medals or something else … so she could become a propagander of Western sodomic values.

Milonov is the author of Russia's ban on "homosexual propaganda" and it's possible that he could bring charges against Gagarina. He and his army of goons from the Russian Orthodox Church regularly crash LGBT events and violence has resulted on some occasions.

(Tipped by JMG reader Luis)

Watch Conchita Wurst Fly At Eurovision

Yesterday's Eurovision 2015 final opened with last year's winner Conchita Wurst making a dramatic entrance from below the audience and then flying over their heads to the main stage. At the end of the night, the early voting lead swung back and forth between Russia and Sweden, the latter of whom was declared the winner when their lead could not be overcome by the remaining countries yet to announce their votes. Sweden first won Eurovision in 1974 with ABBA's Waterloo and their second-most recent of five wins to date came in 2012 with Loreen's club stomper Euphoria. Eurovision 2016 will be held in Sweden, which has hosted the contest twice in Stockholm, once in Gothenburg, and in Malmo in 2012. Eurogays are now anxiously awaiting the 2016 host city announcement so they can make their travel plans. 

RELATED: JMG reader Str8 Grandmother directs us to this great Eurovision photo recap over on Buzzfeed, which notes that the audience booed very loudly every time points were awarded to Russia. Those reactions, inspired no doubt by Russia's anti-gay laws, prompted an onstage scolding from the show's presenters, something I'd not seen in all my years of watching Eurovision. Perhaps obviously, nobody in the largely gay audience wanted to attend Eurovision in Moscow next year.

LIVE VIDEO: Eurovision 2015 Finals UPDATE: Sweden Wins, Russia Takes Second, Italy Finishes Third

Hold on my tender kittens because Gay Christmas is not over yet! The Eurovision 2015 finals in Vienna begin at 3PM US east coast time. The favorites are Sweden and Russia, but I'm still partial to the UK, Latvia, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Israel - in that order. (I think.) Jump into the comments, follow along, and give us your favorites and reviews. Conchita Wurst, last year's winner, will be hosting the green room segments and it looks like the house is packed with our people, as always.

Twitter Launches Hashflags For Eurovision

Conchita Wurst - Unstoppable Remix

Four remixes of Conchita Wurst's latest single became available today on iTunes and Spotify. This remix feels a little Cher-y with the vocoder effects and seems destined for big room gay club popularity. Conchita will host the green room during the Eurovision 2015 finals in Vienna later this month.

Conchita Wurst - You Are Unstoppable

Sony Music is putting a strong marketing push behind Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst's coming debut album. Via press release:

Fans all around have waited for this moment and now they are rewarded accordingly. From power ballads to dance floor fillers, from Swing to Pop, the winner of 2014’s Eurovision Song Contest shows the full range of her talents on her debut album, which is simply titled Conchita. Besides her hits “Rise Like A Phoenix, “Heroes” and “You Are Unstoppable”, the album holds many gems for her fans to explore: Songs like “Colours Of Your Love” and “Firestorm” with their driving beats, the oriental influences on “Out Of Body Experience”, while “Where Have All The Good Men Gone” boasts a swinging brass section, and fans of spectacular ballads will enjoy “Pure”. After her victory in Copenhagen in May 2014, Conchita Wurst now tops off a successful and turbulent year with her new longplayer. Her fans have always been at her side, be it at her performance at the Crazy Horse, her performances at the European Parliament and in front of the UNO with Ban Ki-moon, on Jean Paul Gaultier’s runway, on the red carpet of the Golden Globe Awards, or at the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards 2015, where she won three awards (Female artist of the year, Song of the year – Rise Like a Phoenix, Video of the year – Heroes).

The album will be released on May 15th, just days before Wurst co-hosts Eurovision 2015 in Vienna. Below is the new production video for her latest single, which is now available.

Eurovision 2015: All 40 Entries

All 40 entries in Eurovision 2015 have finally been named and snippets of all the songs are in the clip below in alphabetic order. Only seven of this year's entries are not in English. I might change my mind during the semi-finals, but thus far my favorites are Belgium, Denmark, Georgia, Greece, Israel, and the United Kingdom, the last of which has been growing on me. Eurovision 2015 begins on May 19th in Vienna, where hometown hero and last year's winner Conchita Wurst will perform hosting duties.

Conchita Wurst - You Are Unstoppable

Available today from the coming album.

Conchita Wurst At The Golden Globes

Eurovision: The Year Of Conchita Wurst

The official Eurovision channel looks back on the win of Conchita Wurst, arguably the venerable contest's most popular winner in decades.

Conchita Wurst To Host Eurovision 2015

Via Pink News:

It has been announced this week that Conchita Wurst will make a return to the contest in Vienna – as a presenter. The singer was confirmed as host for the Green Room segment of the show, interviewing the current acts. She will be joined by an all-female presenting team, with Mirjam Weichselbraun, Alice Tumler and Arabella Kiesbauer taking up the main hosting roles during the event. The drag star is also expected to reprise her previous winner’s song, Rise Like a Phoenix, during the Grand Final, as is tradition for Eurovision. Kathrin Zechner of broadcaster ORF said: "[Conchita] won the contest with her personality, voice and song for Austria. She did not take the first but the most powerful Austrian step in the fight for self-determination and respect in Europe and the world."

As upset as the hater nations were about Conchita performing her one song, you can expect some real screaming about this hosting gig.

TRAILER: Conchita, Queen Of Austria

A behind the scene Eurovision documentary.

Conchita Wurst - Heroes

The lyric clip was released two weeks ago and today we get the full production video.

Conchita Wurst - Heroes

AUSTRIA: Conchita Wurst Meets UN Head Ban Ki-Moon During Talks On LGBT Rights

Via the Associated Press:

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has joined Austrian cross-dressing pop star Conchita Wurst in calling for an end to bias based on a person's sexual orientation. Wurst teamed up with Ban on Monday on the sidelines of a U.N. conference to deliver their message of tolerance. Ban told reporters that he will continue his fight "against transphobia and homophobia." "I stand strong for equality," Ban said. "We are unstoppable," he added, quoting Wurst's words on the night of her victory at this year's Eurovision song contest.

More from Yahoo News:

The entertainer, sporting a demure dress and black high heels along with the trademark beard, shook hands and joked with Ban and sang for hundreds of cheering officials and diplomats at the United Nations complex in Vienna. "This year I extended benefits to same-sex partners of U.N. staff members... Discrimination has no place in the United Nations," Ban said to applause from officials, dozens of whom crowded round to get a picture with or autograph from Wurst. "When I heard that she won this Eurovision song contest I immediately knew that she was a star of the world," Ban said.

Russia Drops Plan For Anti-Eurovision

Despite all its screaming about Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita Wurst, Russia has cancelled its plan to revive a Soviet-era version of the event next month. Via Pink News:

The 2014 contest – which was due to take place in Sochi in October – has since been cancelled, according to Russian news service Rusnovosti. Intervision, which ran between 1977 and 1980, had been set to be revived featuring countries with values closer to Russia’s, including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Despite the cancellation, the show’s producers are reportedly still planning to hold a contest in 2015, blaming the “political situation” in Russia for the delay. Russia has meanwhile already confirmed its participation in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, despite Russian politician Vitaly Milonov calling for the country to boycott the “Eurovision sodom show”.

Meanwhile a pair of anti-gay local Russian politicians are mocking Conchita Wurst in a brief campaign clip. Via the Hollywood Reporter:

The video depicts several cartoon figures resembling this year's Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst under a sign reading "There will be a parade!" in an apparent reference to repeated bans on gay pride parades in several Russian cities. Then, the two election candidates, Oleg Guz and Almaz Gismeyev — who, incidentally, represent the ruling party United Russia — are shown shaking hands to an offscreen announcement of their election slogan: "Against empty talkers and gays." Originally released online by the candidates themselves, the video earned notoriety when the gay rights website GayRussia.eu reposted the video, and several Russian gay rights activists filed complaints, claiming that the video "incites enmity and hatred."

RELATED:  Gay travel sites are already selling tour packages to Vienna for Eurovision 2015. Aside from pride events, Eurovision is one of the most popular travel destinations for European gay men.

Conchita Wurst Wallpaper

If you're a wallpaper person, there's a new pattern available. (Tipped by JMG reader Roger)

Conchita Wurst At London Pride

Conchita Wurst To Headline London Pride

Via press release:

Pride in London announced this evening that Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst will be the headline performer at Pride in London in Trafalgar Square on 28th June. The announcement was made at 1800 on Explovia – London’s going out app – which is a partner of Pride in London, promoting the festival of events that make up Pride week. Conchita Wurst said: “I am really looking forward to seeing you all at Pride in London. Let us be proud about who we are and let us give a statement for love, respect and tolerance. And most of all let us be proud and think about those LGBTI people around the world, who can’t make a Gay Pride in their countries.”

Other performers include Samantha Fox and Sinitta.