On May 10, 2014, Austrian singer and drag queen Thomas Neuworth performed at the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, Denmark
Hungary recently withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest, and there is speculation that the annual competition is too odd for the Hungarian government. Hungary did not give a formal reason for withdrawal. However, according to reports, a message from Hungarian television station MTVA said that the staff believed that the move was related to eurovision with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).
This actually comes from MTVA's gay culture. The source said no explanation was provided internally, but the newsroom discouraged positive reporting on the issue of homosexuality. The Budapest-based television station declined to answer questions from reporters.
MTVA sources speculate that the government believes the Eurovision Song Contest is too homophobic to participate.
Last week, an opposition lawmaker asked a government minister why Hungary was withdrawing from the Eurovision Song Contest, and he was told the country's broadcasters were responsible for the decision.
Commentators in the administration expressed support for the withdrawal from the Europa League, seeing it as a victory for gay opponents. Magazine editor Andras Binsik said the Eurovision had been "reduced to a gay fleet." Not participating in the competition is good for Hungary's mental health, he said.
"Many young people think it's something for people under the age of 18, but at this event, the degeneration of public taste happened to screaming transvestites and bearded women." Binswick added.
In 2014, Austrian singer and drag queen Thomas Neuwirth won the Eurovision Song Contest for Rise Like a Phoenix. Neuworth's stage name is Conchita Wurst. This made him an international icon for gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Hungarian officials recently sent out other signals against homosexuality. Prime Minister Victor Orbán has repeatedly stated that marriage is a matter between a man and a woman, and he recently introduced a "family first" policy aimed at helping traditional families increase fertility.
In August, Istanbul, a member of parliament from the ruling Youth Democratic League, called for a boycott of Coca-Cola after the company launched an advertising campaign featuring gays kissing. In May, Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, Laszlo Kover, said homosexuality was morally equivalent to paedophilia.
LGBT activists warn that the world is denying the rights of gay people around the world, from Brazil to Russia. In the United States, an annual survey shows that young people's tolerance for LGBT people has declined in recent years.
The scandal is reminiscent of Russia's opposition to the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2014, a Russian mp urged Russia to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest, saying participation would "contradict the path of cultural and moral revival that Russia is currently taking."
The European Broadcasting Union, which operates the Eurovision, said: "It is not uncommon for members of the European Broadcasting Union to take occasional breaks when participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. We hope THAT MTVA will soon return to the Eurovision Song Contest family. "
The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in May 2020.
Text/Jingwen Fang
【DAILY MEDIA】