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.

LIVE VIDEO: Eurovision Semi-Finals 2

The finals are Saturday. Competing right now in the second semi-finals round are 17 nations:  Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Iceland, Israel, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.

(Tipped by JMG reader Luis)

UPDATE: Finalists chosen in this round: Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Montenegro, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Israel.

VIENNA: City Readies For Gay Christmas

The Eurovision Song Contest is often referred to as "Gay Christmas" and Vienna is getting ready to host the finals in two weeks. Via Reuters:

Gay-themed traffic lights are getting Vienna into the mood for the annual Eurovision Song Contest, one of the world's most popular kitsch cultural events which this year is being hosted by the Austrian capital. Dozens of traffic lights in central Vienna have been programmed to show male or female gay couples with hearts -- in red for stop and green for go -- replacing the usual single, gender-neutral figure. The campaign is intended to present Vienna as an open-minded city and also to improve traffic safety as the unusual symbols attract the attention of drivers and pedestrians, a spokeswoman for Vienna's city lighting department said. The city of Vienna will then collate data to see whether the campaign has indeed helped traffic safety, she added. The Eurovision Song Contest, now in its 60th year, has long been a fixture on the international gay calendar.

Last year's winner, Austrian pop star Conchita Wurst, will host the green room portion of the contest. Bookmakers are pegging Sweden's Måns Zelmerlöw as this year's favorite.

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.

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.

Seen In Vienna

Posted to the Facebook page of pop singer Joss Stone, who is touring Europe.

AUSTRIA: Lesbian Politician Attacked With Acid At Vienna's Pride Parade

Via The Local:

Austria's first openly gay politician, leader of the Austrian Greens' delegation to the EU parliament Ulrike Lunacek was the apparent victim of an attack at Friday's annual Rainbow Parade in Vienna. An unknown assailant sprayed butyric acid at the politician as she was giving an interview on the sidelines of the parade. Lunacek and the interview team were not injured. The acid damaged the Greens MP's clothes and the camera equipment. According to police spokeswoman Barbara Riehs, the acid caused around €50,000 worth of damage to the electronic equipment. The attacker had not yet been found on Sunday.

Wikipedia notes that butyric acid is commonly used in so-called "stink bombs" as it is the main distinctive smell in human vomit. It can cause painful blisters and blindness. (Via Towleroad)

Barbara Eden Headlines AIDS Fundraiser

An apparently ageless Barbara Eden took the stage in her Jeannie costume yesterday at Vienna's Life Ball, which is the biggest AIDS fundraiser in Europe. She is 78, folks.  Also appearing at the event was Bill Clinton. (Via Boy Culture)

Well-Hung Art

At a Vienna gallery showing a special exhibition of male nudes, art fans were invited to attend in the nude themselves.

These museum goers didn't just leave their outerwear at the coat check. They handed over their shirts, trousers, underwear - everything, except their shoes and socks. The occasion at Vienna's Leopold Museum was a special after-hour showing of "Nude Men from 1800 to Today" - an exhibit of 300 paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures focused on the bare male.  For many, the evening was a goose-bump raising instance of life imitating art. "I can't say I'm sweating," said office worker Herbert Korvas, as he stood in the atrium with other young men wearing no more than socks and a smile and waiting for the tour to start.

(Tipped by JMG reader William)