Austrian drag queen wins Eurovision song contest
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Austrian bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst won
the 59th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest Saturday with a James
Bond-inspired power ballad. The song, "Rise Like a Phoenix," helped Wurst -- the alter ego of 25-year-old
Thomas Neuwirth -- secure Austria's second victory in the competition. The
country also won in 1966. "This is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and
freedom," a tearful Wurst said as she accepted the trophy from Denmark's Emmelie
de Forrest, who won the contest last year. "We are unity and we are
unstoppable." Pushing the boundaries of gender identity is nothing new at Europe's annual
song contest -- an extravaganza known for its eclectic, sometimes unlistenable
lineup of techno beats, love songs and pop tunes. But Wurst had been faced with
some protests before the competition, highlighting a rift between Europe's
progressive liberal side and the traditional values and nationalist rhetoric of
Russia and some other nations taking part. Wurst finished ahead of The Common Linnets from the Netherlands in second
place and Swedish singer Sanna Nielsen in third, meaning next year's contest
will be held in Austria. Amid growing tensions over the Ukraine crisis, some in Eastern Europe have
blasted Wurst as an example of the West's decadence. Activists in Belarus had
even urged the country's state television network to edit the Austrian entry out
of its Eurovision broadcast. The annual competition is supposed to be completely removed from politics.
Neither Russia's entry -- teenage twins Anastasia and Maria Tolmachevy -- nor
Ukraine's Mariya Yaremchuk, whose routine included a dancer running in a giant
hamster wheel, alluded to the recent tensions between Moscow and Kiev. Still, every time Russia got votes from mainly neighboring countries, many in
the audience of 10,000 booed, and when Moscow gave its respective 8, 10 and 12
points to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus -- all former Soviet republics -- more
boos were heard. The winner was picked by juries and television viewers across Europe. The first Eurovision song contest was held in 1956 in Switzerland and over
the years, the contest's most famous winners include ABBA, Celine Dion and
Johnny Logan, who won the contest three times -- in 1980 and 1987 as a
performer, and in 1992 as a songwriter.
