A journalist and Eurovision superfan has described the sheer “joy” he experienced reporting on the contest whilst it was held in the UK.
Marcus Wratten, an entertainment reporter at PinkNews and a die-hard Eurovision stan, spent weeks in the lead up to the week-long live shows and epic Grand Final curating coverage about the competition’s acts and history, as well as its global impact and place in queer culture.
One story which particularly stuck out for the Kingston University graduate highlighted the ‘chosen family’ element of the event.
Wratten spoke with people who use the contest as a way of celebrating LGBTQ+ friends who have passed away, those who attend the event every single year and others who mark it by performing with their chosen family.
“It’s really shown me that this is more than just a song contest,” he said.
His favourite thing about the annual camp-fest though? The fact Eurovision is a competition but “doesn’t feel like one”.
“It’s a celebration of pop music, talent, camp costumes and wild performances, but it never feels like a fight to be named the best,” he said, “It just feels like a mark of unity.”
Unity has been at the heart of this year’s competition, which was hosted by the United Kingdom on behalf of 2022’s winner Ukraine, who were unable to put the event on due to the on-going conflict with Russia.
‘United by Music’ was, in fact, this year’s slogan.
At the Grand Final on Saturday (13 May) Sweden’s entry Loreen was crowned champion for her track ‘Tattoo’. A victory which marked a second Eurvison win for the Swede – after 2012’s ‘Euphoria’ – and the first time a woman has won the competition twice.
This year’s finale was the most watched Eurovision ever, according to BBC statistics, with an average UK audience of 9.9 million tuning in – equal to an audience share of 63 per cent.
It is undeniable the UK was gripped by Eurovision fever as the annual contest took place on home soil for the first time since 1998, but for the LGBTQ+ community Eurovision means a whole lot more.
“Covering Eurovision has honestly been such a joy,” Wratten told the LGBTQ+ Journalism Network, “Having the contest here in the UK has highlighted how much it means to queer people, and really showed me that it’s basically a pre-pride parade.”
“It’s been such a show of LGBTQ+ celebration.”
For Wratten, Eurovision is a reminder that the LGBTQ+ community “contributes massively to the UK and our entertainment scene”.
Despite increasing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments in the UK – which have caused it to drop further down the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map – he says Eurovision is a reminder “LGBTQ people are so often enriching the country – not threatening it”.
“I find it ironic that anyone who supports the recent wave of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric would be in any way enjoying Eurovision, considering the contest is without a doubt the queerest thing in the UK right now,” he added.
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