Can "low culture" and "camp" Eurovision help spread gay love in Serbia?

That's what gay activists in the post-Soviet nation are hoping the song competition kicks of its semi-finals today.

…Activists now see the glitz, media attention and gay tourists coming to Serbia with the Eurovision Song Contest as a big chance to come out again, louder and more confident than before.

"There are no gay celebrities in Serbia, nobody's out," said Predrag Azdejkovic, one of a handful of openly gay Serbs. "Eurovision is so gay, so camp, it'll be a shock to the system."

Like so many other nations of its ilk, Serbia doesn't boast the most inclusive culture. In fact, anti-gay gangs have vowed to attack gays who come to Belgrade for Eurovision.

So, why are these baddies so down on same-sex lovers? Overzealous, exclusionary nationalism, which will surely be no match for glitter and rainbows.