Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Ronald Zak/PA Images

Conchita vows to fight for tolerance, as thousands turn out for Austria homecoming

The drag queen’s win has sparked outrage among Russia’s politicians, leading one party leader to declare “this is the end of Europe”.

CONCHITA WURST — AUSTRIA’s bearded drag queen who claimed the Eurovision title last night — returned home today to a jubilant welcome, vowing to use her newfound fame to promote tolerance.

“This will remain an issue for a long time and I fear I won’t see the end of it in my lifetime,” said Wurst, who captured Europe’s imagination at this year’s edition of the song contest.

“It will be my life’s work and I gladly take it on,” the 25-year-old drag artist, who is also known as Tom Neuwirth, told reporters in Vienna.

“Yesterday was not just a victory for me but a victory for those people who believe in a future that can function without discrimination and is based on tolerance and respect.”

Wurst’s participation in the contest had sparked controversy ahead of the finals in Copenhagen, with petitions running in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine for her to be dropped from the competition.

Her win was also greeted by an outpouring of scorn from Russian politicians and stars.

But at Vienna airport, the waifish singer was greeted by a jubilant crowd that went wild when she stepped into the arrivals terminals in a flowing pale pink skirt and jeans vest.

Fans

At least 1,000 fans — some of them wearing painted beards on their face, including women and children — had been waiting for hours, playing Wurst’s anthem “Rise like a Phoenix” non-stop and singing along at the top of their lungs, while waving Austrian and rainbow signs and banners that read “We love you!” and “Conchita Queen of Love + Tolerance”.

Surrounded by an international media scrum, she lifted her Eurovision trophy in the air and smiled to the cameras.

“I don’t really feel vindicated (against her critics). I believe everything happens for a reason,” she said afterwards.

She insisted she was no “ambassador of tolerance… I’m just doing my little bit. This is what I was given and I feel it’s my duty as an artist to work in that direction.”

After her win on Saturday, Wurst cried out: “We are unity, and we are unstoppable.”

“That was obviously meant for certain politicians whom we all know,” she explained in Vienna. Asked if she meant Russian President Vladimir Putin, who last year signed a law banning “gay propaganda”, she replied coyly “among others”.

Ronald Zak Ronald Zak

Wurst’s unusual persona sparked a backlash from eastern Europe and her win saw an outpouring of anti-gay anger from Russian politicians and stars on Sunday.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin tweeted that the Eurovision result “showed supporters of European integration their European future: a bearded girl.”

Russian nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky meanwhile predicted: “It’s the end of Europe… They don’t have men and women any more. They have ‘it’.”

But Wurst retorted that parents should just tell their children: “He’s a young man who wears women’s clothes and he wants to show that you don’t need to be made fun of for that.

“I think if you say that, kids will understand. Children are far more mature than you might think,” she said.

Austria erupted in joy last night as Conchita brought the country its first Eurovision victory in 48 years.

One local radio station played “Rise like a Phoenix” on loop 48 times over four hours on today in honour of the win.

Further afield, stars like Lady Gaga and Boy George have also tweeted their support for her.

Cracking jokes, the “bearded lady” as she likes to call herself charmed the media crowd.

“I’m always asked when I first realised that I’d won. Next week I think,” she said with a flutter of her long fake eyelashes.

© – AFP 2014

Read: “It’s the end of Europe!”: Conchita’s win sparks outrage from Russian politicians

Read: Eurovision 2014 as it happened: Johnny Logan, beards, and glorious Conchita 

Author
View 189 comments
Close
189 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Casey
    Favourite Brian Casey
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 5:24 PM

    Ah The Ard Ri. Welcome to Waterford !

    102
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Walsh
    Favourite Shane Walsh
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 5:46 PM

    It’s a giant billboard now ain’t it?

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rob Cunningham
    Favourite Rob Cunningham
    Report
    Jun 6th 2014, 12:30 AM

    The hotel industry along with other private businesses need to join forces to fight the extortionate rates and leases. Then you will be in a position to survive.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pedro deluvio
    Favourite Pedro deluvio
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 7:02 PM

    Here’s why hotels in Ireland are doing shite!

    They’re over priced and have little to offer in standards, food or service!

    End of!

    87
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark D
    Favourite Mark D
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 7:09 PM

    comments aren’t exactly accurate there.. Hotel industry has been growing steadily over the past 18 months and the Irish approach to customer service is famous worldwide.. No?

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute El Pat Grande
    Favourite El Pat Grande
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 7:25 PM

    Somewhere in between I think.

    The Malton is one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in, end of.

    Stayed in the Gresham a couple of times and I’m not a fan. For those prices, you’d want better service.

    32
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pedro deluvio
    Favourite Pedro deluvio
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 7:25 PM

    Mark D

    Couldn’t have said it better myself!

    CORRECTAMUNDO!

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute King Olaf
    Favourite King Olaf
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 7:49 PM

    I travel between Ireland and elsewhere in Europe fairly often and the one thing tourist mention a lot negatively is specifically the oversold Irish welcome.

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Edmund Dantes
    Favourite Edmund Dantes
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 7:46 PM

    I actually owned a Dublin Hotel for 10 years & I can tell you that there are many reasons why so many are in financial trouble.

    Many Hotels indeed are the creators of their own problems, however, you also have the enormous fall off in tourists from 2008 to 2012, the smoking ban, random breath testing, cheap booze in Supermarkets & Off-Licences, enormous fees for Late Licences, Excise Duty increases, Commercial Rates increases, Insurance Premium increases, high Water Rates, Energy price increases and so on all at the exact same time as Revenues were plumetting like a stone.

    Here’s a quick Economic analogy ! Think of it like a boxer in a ring ; if he gets hit with 1 big punch, he can probably get over it, 10 big punches over a long period of time, maybe he can survive it. BUT, he gets hits with 10 big punches one after another and he get’s knocked out. That’s what happened to the Hotel Industry !

    61
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thors Big Hammer
    Favourite Thors Big Hammer
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 6:22 PM

    Offer good deals and people will come.

    49
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jimmy Coughlan
    Favourite Jimmy Coughlan
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 7:32 PM

    The day to day running costs of a hotel or restaurant.!!! Crazy money
    You can only offer a deal when your sure you can get people to spend in the hotel, but with the price of a pint and a glass of wine in dublin, it’s madness.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pedro deluvio
    Favourite Pedro deluvio
    Report
    Jun 5th 2014, 8:11 PM

    Hi jimmy
    I get what your saying, I’m in the trade 25 years.

    We also travelled for years around the country before we had kids and after.

    It’s negative staff, under kept rooms, bars and amenities, lack of sincere welcomes….and thanks for that matter!

    Usually underage staff that have not been trained to do what they’re doing… Managers included.

    And stiff prices! Our hospitality sector has had little development since before the tiger.
    Our hoteliers need to travel to America to see what can be done with it’s depleting customer base!
    Swiftly.
    There are answers!

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick O' Donoghue
    Favourite Patrick O' Donoghue
    Report
    Jun 6th 2014, 1:32 PM

    Service in the industry has fallen well behind no basic training all theory the day of good morning please and thanks and is everything ok are gone

    5
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.