Yesterday we showed you the marriage equality-promoting parody video made for “Marry Me,” Finland’s entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Now the singer of that song, Krista Siegfrids, has ruffled international feathers and created a quickly-brewing broadcasting scandal by planting a juicy lesbian kiss on one of her backup singers at the tail end of her performance in the Eurovision semifinals last night.
After the kiss, Turkey’s national television station TRT announced that it would not be airing the Eurovision final on Saturday, blaming low ratings during previous years’ broadcasts – this despite the fact that one in four Turkish households tuned into the splashy popfest last year. (To be fair, it must be said that this also marks the first year since 1994 that Turkey is not actually competing in the Europe-wide contest.)
In response to the brouhaha, AllOut.org has released an online petition to the President of the European Broadcasting Union, urging him to not censor the kiss from Siegfrids’ performance in the final.
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“Tell Eurovision’s leadership to speak out for all people’s right to freedom of expression and nondiscrimination,” says the petition. “If they don’t uphold these values at this critical moment, it will be harder for future performers and their supporters to express their art, ideas and identities freely.”
In a press conference after last night’s semifinal, Siegfrids said that while her song is not political, she did want to bring attention to the fact that marriage equality has still not been achieved in Finland.
Though Siegfrids’ kiss marked the first onstage same-sex lip action for Eurovision, overt gayness and lesbianism in contest performances is far from without precedent. In 2007, Serbian singer Marija Serifovic even soared to Eurovision victory with a highly sapphically-stylized performance of her song “Molitva.”
Deepdow
As much as Europe has led the way in terms of national marriage equality and setting precedents with regard to anti-discrimination laws in the past, it is the Americas, North and South, which I feel is the best for lgbt people. This hemisphere seems to hold a special quality of potential. Hmm,. just musing.
2eo
@Deepdow: Not really, you’ll find most of the countries are war-mongering r@cists with eyes on world domination the same as Europe.
Not really much difference at all, bit more rainforest I guess and Argentina keep getting deservedly battered by us. I think the American centric media is a tad warped in it’s world critique.
We’re generally a bit more worldly in Europe.
Charli Girl
DAMN IT GIRLZ!!!i gotta be honest…NEVA read one word…STILL LOOKING AT THEM PERTY GIRLZ!!!
Bahahahaha
Ruhlmann
@2eo: Please the only wars Canada has been involved in were when Britain was at war and we let in the escaping slaves you sold to America.
Freddie27
Generally agree with 2eo. Most of Latin America has a dreadful machismo culture that leads to ostracising and even killing gays. And what about the uniquely hostile and horrible attitude toward gays in Caribbean countries like Jamaica? No, Western Europe is the best place for gays and all sexual minorities. Very secular, progressive and pioneering in marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws. Eastern Europe is our South, but at least it’s improving and the governmental institutions are supporting the LGBT community.
@Ruhlmann: Being on the same continent as the biggest warmonger in the world, the US, cancels out Canada’s pacifist and neutral credentials. And isn’t your PM deporting Iraq War conscientious objectors and voting against Palestine at the UN now?
Ruhlmann
” Being on the same continent as the biggest warmonger in the world, the US, cancels out Canada’s pacifist and neutral credentials.”
Guilty by being next to? Seriously? If you don’t want to go to war don’t join the military. This isn’t like the 60’s and 70’s when we sheltered draftees. Iraq is immoral but the very nature of the military is obeying orders even if you don’t like to. Remember, it was North American men and women who fought and died to pull your asses out of the pan, twice. Europe has been tearing itself apart as long as recorded history.