LGBT organisations cancel Eurovision parties as part of boycott

May 17 2019
Written by Patrick Kelleher

LGBT organisations boycott Eurovision by cancelling parties

Israel’s singer Netta Barzilai aka Netta (FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty)

At least three LGBT+ organisations have cancelled planned Eurovision parties and screenings as a part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Israel has become embroiled in controversy, with some activists calling for a boycott due to the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Among those boycotting the event are LGBT+ organisations in Barcelona, Copenhagen and Melbourne, who all announced in recent weeks that planned Eurovision parties would not go ahead due to the ongoing conflict.

Barcelona LGBT+ organisation cancelled Eurovision screening to ‘defend human rights’

Barcelona-based LGBT+ organisation El Casal Lambda cancelled this year’s edition of its annual Eurovision party, which was due to take place at the city’s LGBT+ centre, due to their “long and extensive experience defending human rights.”

Meanwhile, an LGBT+ youth organisation in Copenhagen announced in a statement on Facebook earlier this month that its planned Eurovision party would not go ahead.

“We have listened to the feedback we have received and have chosen not to hold the event,” the statement said.

They said they had planned to celebrate Eurovision as they saw it as a non-political event and a celebration of the European community.

FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty

“However, we in LGBT+ Youth do not feel that we can support the Eurovision, because this year there are a lot of problems around Eurovision’s use of pinkwashing.” They said they will instead host an ABBA themed party.

“Pinkwashing” describes the practice of an organisation, city or country aiming to appear as LGBT+ friendly in order to be seen as progressive.

A Melbourne LGBT+ club night cancelled a planned screening due to ‘human rights concerns’

Meanwhile, an LGBT+ club night in Melbourne called Fannys at Franny’s had intended to screen this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. However, they backtracked after an activist commented and said they were “disappointed” that a queer event was screening Eurovision due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The club night responded and said they had decided not to screen Eurovision due to “human rights concerns.”

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