Like any good host, the Copenhagen tourism office e-mailed me practical tips on how to get there, guides to restaurants and accommodation, and an invitation to get gay married on a zero-emission wedding boat.
The news release didn’t have any photos of the boat so Intern Liz made you TWO.
The only way you could tick off more Scandinavian stereotypes is if they offered pickled herring onboard.
The Eurovision Song Contest, one of the world’s longest-running, largest international song competitions and more importantly the contest that brought us ABBA, will take place in Copenhagen from 6–10 May this year. I will be there. That dude from Borgen will be there. That guy who danced in a glass box for Azerbaijan last year will probably not be there, which makes me a little sad, but it will be awesome anyway.
If you are unfamiliar with the glorious spectacle that is Eurovision, here is a short multidisciplinary links round-up:
- Media/Cultural Studies: Beginner’s Guide to Eurovision Song Contest
- Politics (or, “Only the Irish Vote for the UK”): The Voting Patterns of the Eurovision Song Contest in the Last 10 Years
- History: Why Can Israel Participate in the Eurovision Song Contest?
via MODDB (click image for larger)
Now Copenhagen is stepping up its host game by inviting all couples – gay or straight, Danish or foreign – to get married on May 7, 9 or 10 at three iconic locations: the Copenhagen Opera House, Højbro Plads (a public square) and on the mysterious wedding boat. All you need to do is mail documents for your “wonderful wedding” in advance to the Marriage Office.
I have such conflicting feelings on this gay wedding situation, y’all. On one hand, I’m not in the “public stunts cheapen the institution of marriage” camp but dear g-d does it irritate me when countries wave the rainbow flag as a (usually hypocritical) point of national pride. (See: everything that is happening with Russia right now. Russia is a Eurovision participant, so there’s no denying this is political.) My liberation will not be your tourist attraction and definitely not your excuse for neocolonial intervention.
On the other, what better fits the aesthetic of Eurovision than gay weddings en masse?
Finland’s Krista Siegfrids made out with a lady at the end of her song “Marry Me” last year, which lots of us do every day but not all of us have the honour of being pulled from Turkish TV broadcasts for it
via Wiwi Bloggs
Step aside, Grammys.
Also making queer Eurovision headlines this year is Austria’s Conchita Wurst, a bearded drag queen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmL7m0by4UQ
LGBTQ contestants are far from new to Eurovision. Israel’s Dana International, a trans woman, won the 1998 competition with the song “Diva” while Ukraine’s Verka Serduchka, a drag queen, came in second in 2007 with “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” – my personal favourite performance ever. There are far too many out queer Eurovision participants to mention. (Not Jedward though. Jedward is 100% heterosexual… and they have “needs.”)
Conchita’s participation, however, has brought out the expected crowd of bigots: a deeply transphobic “Anti-Wurst” Facebook group has gathered close to 40,000 likes, and a Belarusian petition claims that Eurovision will become a “hotbed of sodomy.” Because y’know, it isn’t already.
MUCH HETEROSEXUAL. SUCH FAMILY VALUES.
But seeing as to how Conchita’s won the Austrian nomination and looks fabulous in a glittery leotard, I’m gonna say she’s come out on top here.
via Manfred Werner / Wikimedia Commons
So in short: Eurovision 2014 is looking super gay. Surprise!
P.S. Copenhagen, the queer friend I’ll be travelling with and I have a proposal for you: set us up with Birgitte Nyborg and you will have your first transnational, transfictional gay triad wedding ever. Just think of the right to wave your liberal homonationalist flag forever.
Please?
YES! I love that you are covering this event! Eurovision trumps American Idol any day, even if we went on just the outfits alone. We also wrote a guide to Eurovision for the uninitiated: http://www.outabroad.com/eurovision-a-tutorial/
Aw, yeah, Eurovision!
It is my guilty pleasure, here in Latvia it is one of those things no one watches, but everyone knows what happens there. The songs are terrible indeed, but it is way too funny to miss. The thing about countries and voting is absolutely true, it is also funny how countries like Ireland or UK give many votes to the Baltics because of the immigrants, hah.
I actually really liked/had a crush on the winner of 2012 – Loreen, I even voted for her. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I have a feeling that she isn’t exactly the straightest girl in Europe either…
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80 )
Also Estonian songs are beautiful too because Estonian language is incredibly poetic and melodic on its own. It isn’t surprising as Estonia is a wonderful country in general and I am not saying this because of the “Baltic Circle Jerk”!
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzXKjvpgj2o )
I’m perpetually confused that no American channel has picked up the rights to air it, there is totally an audience for it.
Don’t give them ideas – Eurovision is streamed free on the official website! It’s sad enough y’all have to live the Olympics a few hours after everyone else.
I didn’t know it’s streamed on the website, that’s perfect. I don’t even care about the delay on the Olympics, they’re on the middle of the night and I’m not staying up for that so any way I’m going to watch them is on a delay.
I’m incredibly heartbroken that my favourites didn’t win the Ukrainian contest, but I have a friend who is obsessed with ABBA and Eurovision so I will be enthusiastically watching it this year. Can’t wait for the coverage!! =D
Over the years a lot, A. LOT. Of my friends have had eurovision parties, where everyone is nominated a country and has to bring a dish from that country and wear a variation on national dress from that country…campest thing you’ve ever seen. AS eurovision meet up anyone? Eurostraddle?
I couldn’t care less about the Eurovision (I personally think it’s a tacky, slightly ridiculous, cringe-worthy singing competition) but all I have to say is: if Sidse Babett Knudsen (who plays Birgitte Nyborg on Borgen) attended/presented the Eurovision, then I’d definitely watch the whole damn thing!
susi introduced me to eurovision last year and i’m hooked. i’m so jealous you’ll be there, fikri!
OMG, Austria’s Conchita Wurst is totally fabulous! Looks like I’ll be trying to find some way to watch Eurovision this year!
Eurovision is the best! I can’t wait.
yaaaas scandinavia <3
also, being Australian, Eurovision is a HUGE deal for me (nobody knows why, but Australia is just obsessed with it) and we’re all having super gay Eurovision viewing parties tonight
I am confused because you say “tonight” when Eurovision was last night and yet I thought Australians lived in the future. Unless y’all REALLY love the show and are watching it again? In which case, I APPROVE.
There were Australians everywhere in Copenhagen! It was awesome to not be the only one from the Asia-Pacific in a sea of Europeans.