Austrian Conchita Wurst wins Eurovision Song Contest
“Yesterday was a victory not just for me, but also for those people who believe in [a] future that functions without discrimination and which is based on tolerance and respect. That was transnational and had nothing to with east and west.”
— Conchita Wurst (Thomas Neuwirth), winner of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, upon arriving in her homeland of Austria. The country’s president, Heinz Fischer, said Wurst’s win was “not just a victory for Austria, but above all for diversity and tolerance in Europe.”
This was Austria’s second victory in the competition (the first was in 1966). Wurst, who was the subject of some protest before the competition who cited the performer as an example of the influence of Western decadence, won with the song “Rise Like a Phoenix.”
The first Eurovision song contest was held in 1956, and the annual contest’s most famous winners include ABBA and Celine Dion.
Source: Washington Post
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