The Irish made me smile today!

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Today is the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision  Song Contest, a show I've watched most years since 1973 or so. I remember being curled up on my Nana's sofa on a Saturday night with her singing "Save All Your Kisses For Me" to me as I fell asleep, a lovely memory. Now Eurovision has become intertwined with the gay movement and gay society; I love it, we love it. A friend of mine asked me yesterday if I had not grown out of it at 45? I said "bloody hell, no" the day I stop enjoying fun and silliness is the day I lay down in a coffin.

In some of the newer entrant countries, it is less of a gay thing and more of a cultural showcase for their popular music.  Most years I either host or attend a Eurovision party, usually a mix of friends from various countries my 2009 party had people from Germany, Norway, China, Spain and Australia, gay and straight, it was fun and today I will be watching it with Americans and Germans, an intriguing mix.

Today is Eurovision and today, the most successful country in Eurovision history, Ireland, voted yes to gay marriage, giving gay people equality, now the significance of this is huge, it wasn't a court ruling, it was a popular vote, the question was put to the people of Ireland, a still deeply religious country, one of the most catholic in the world, a country where Priests and Bishops are almost untouchable and literally put the fear of god into people; in this religious country, a country we often look down on from over here in smug England, the people voted yes and gave a minority equality. Today is a good day to be Irish for those of you who are, today is a good day to be Gay but remember when you watch Eurovision tonight that many of the countries entering the contest tonight are highly intolerant places, not only of Gays, but of women, blacks, gypsies, and all other minorities. Many of those countries (Russia in particular) sneer at the gayness of the contest in some countries, well tough, Eurovision is and always has been about songs (good and bad) and breaking down barriers between neighbours. 

 And here is my favourite Eurovision entry this year (cute Italian boys singing Opera, what's not to love)

Enjoy! 

 Update, sadly my Italians only came 3rd, not bad, it was very popular and the 1st and 2nd places went much poppier songs!

This being the winner on the night, well done Sweden.

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