The Man Who Created Russia's "Gay Propaganda" Law Thinks Eurovision Is Gay Propaganda

The architect of Russia's "homosexual propaganda" law calls for boycott of the song competition because a drag performer will represent Austria.

By
J. Lester Feder
by J. Lester Feder

BuzzFeed News World Correspondent

and
Susie Armitage
by Susie Armitage

BuzzFeed Global Managing Editor

This is Conchita Wurst.

View this video on YouTube

Wurst is a persona of Thomas Neuwirth, who was selected to represent Austria in the 2014 Eurovision Song Competition, which will be broadcast across Europe over three nights beginning May 6.

Wurst won't get this guy's vote.

OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP / Getty Images

This is Vitaly Milonov, the lawmaker from St. Petersburg who sponsored the ordinance that became the model for Russia's "homosexual propaganda" law.

On Tuesday, Milonov called for Russia to boycott the competition and withdraw its representatives from the competition, saying it had become a "pan-European gay pride parade."

"The participation of the obvious transvestite and hermaphrodite Conchita Wurst, on the same stage as Russian singers, on live television — this is clearly propaganda of homosexuality and spiritual decay," Milonov said.

Which means Europe would not get to see the Tolmachevy Sisters perform.

View this video on YouTube
youtube.com / Via eurovision.tv

Wurst's participation has been ruffling feathers in Eastern Europe for several months. In September, a petition was launched on Change.org calling to ban the competition's broadcast in Belarus. It has received just over 4,000 signatures.

"The popular international contest, which OUR CHILDREN will watch, has become a hotbed of sodomy at the instigation of European liberals." the petition said. "Belarus is one of the few countries in Europe that have maintained normal, healthy family values, founded on love and the mutual complementarity between men and women!!!"

An identical petition was launched in Russia in December, and it has collected more than 24,000 signatures.

And Wurst has become the butt of jokes on Russian television.

vk.com / Via vk.com

In December, comedian Pavel Volya did a bit on his popular Comedy Club TV show in which he said, "If Europe likes it, and agrees with this, then today I'd like to declare that I'm not a European, I'm an Asian. Chinese, I love you. Kyrgyz, you too. Uzbeks, Mongolians... Koreans, let's eat a dog together."

Skip to footer