Drag artist Conchita Wurst performs for European Parliament
Eurovision drag artist Conchita Wurst has performed in front of the European Parliament.
The Austrian pop diva, who won the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this year, was invited to perform a set today for MEPs at the European Parliament building in Brussels, as part of an anti-discrimination event.
The 25-year-old’s performance was masterminded by Austrian Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek, and was backed by most of the main political factions – aside from Nigel Farage’s Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group, and the UK Conservatives’ ECR group.
Conchita Wurst said: “I’m not a politician, only a singer.
“I just don’t know why we still have to wait. The love who you want is such a human thing.
“I don’t know why still people deny that. This is for all the politicians out there – I just don’t get it.
“As I always say, you don’t have to love me, but you have to respect that I’m here.
“I will give everything I have to support those who want [tolerance]. Sex, colour and background should no longer play a role.”
However, not all politicians were fans of the performance – with Beatrix von Storch of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party condemning the event.
He told Deutsche Welle: “We stand here discussing Mr Wurst, a man in women’s clothing who sings. To me this is completely overrated when compared to the problems are actually facing.
“We tolerate all homosexuals, we don’t have any problems at all anymore. We keep talking about homosexuals, we talk about bisexuals, we talk about transsexuals, intersexuals, intrasexuals, and so forth.
“We keep revolving around our sexuality and I have the impression that at the European level and in the member nations we’ve out-discussed this subject.”
