However this year the political controversy is over the rather eccentric Conchita Wurst, the Austrian entrant who is a transvestite with a beard. This seems to have caused some consternation as Reuters reports:
Online petitions were started in Belarus, Armenia and Russia - whose government passed a law last year banning "gay propaganda" among minors - to have Wurst removed or edited out of broadcasts in their countries.
The ugly face of homophobia has entered the contest. How these morons see any of this as "gay propaganda" is beyond me, but it is part of a growing attempt by a variety of unpleasant regimes to enforce their prejudices on everyone else.
The BBC adds Graham Norton's comments as he prepares to compare the contest tonight:
"She's here against a lot of adversity. Other countries objected, Russia and Belarus wanted to opt out of the TV broadcast at that point, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said no.
"There's something lovely and poignant about that song," he said.
After Russia was booed during the first semi-final on Tuesday, Norton said he was unsure how the voting would play out between Russia and Ukraine.
"Russia are wildly unpopular here, but this is Denmark, in other parts of Europe they'll be watching TV and they won't be booing, so Russia could do very well."
He added: "But I don't think the organisers want to go there, as that turns it into a very political event, there's the chance of boycotts and that is not what Eurovision is about."
Maybe its our chance to take a "political vote" and stick two fingers up to the Russians and tell them to take their prejudices and stuff them up the Volga!
Vote Austria.
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