Conchita WURST is in New York City to celebrate World Pride and commemorate Stonewall Riots
Austrian singer songwriter Conchita WURST is currently on his first visit to New York City.
As the official ambassador for EuroPride here in Vienna earlier in the month, the 30-year-old Eurovision Song Contest winner is in New York to participate in World Pride celebrations.
Conchita also had the opportunity to help commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with a speech on the Stonewall stage on Friday, and with various appearances around town.
Including a high-profile visit to the United Nations’ affiliated group the LGBTI Core Group, a meeting with U.N. officials and a visit to the U.N. itself.
Of course, it is not the first time Conchita has been in meetings with U.N. officials, having met one-on-one with former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon here in Vienna back in 2014.
Nevertheless, it is still a huge honor for the Austrian singer to be invited to a U.N. event again, and one I doubt he takes lightly.
When asked by the German newspaper the Stuttgarter Zeitung why he had made the journey to New York for the event, Conchita said:
“To pay tribute to the men and women who fought courageously and with great danger for their rights, and for the rights of all succeeding generations. For me it is a huge honor that I have been invited to speak during an historic moment at an historic site, the Stonewall Inn! I’ve never been to New York, never been to Christopher Street, never been to the Stonewall Inn.”
Conchita WURST performs at The Rooftop at Pier 17
Conchita WURST also performed at The Tea Dance Pride on the iconic The Rooftop at Pier 17 stage on Saturday.
Before his performance, he made time to meet fans, several of whom had waited five years to be able to welcome him to their part of the world.
Teresa Michalski, one of Conchita WURST’s American fans, has followed the singer since his 2014 Eurovision win, and has been waiting since then for him to appear somewhere close to where she lives.
She was able to meet Conchita for the first time before his Tea Dance Pride show yesterday, and posted on her Facebook page soon after — “Dying!!! OMG What an AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL PERSON INSIDE & OUT!!! Sweet and kind! We chatted briefly. I can die happy now!!!”
All I can say is I know just how Teresa felt, as I flew from Bangkok to Vienna for my first meeting with Conchita and, even though I made a complete ass of myself when I met him (it’s the Conchita Syndrome, so I think many of us do — at least that’s what I tell myself), I still left that meeting grinning like a fool, and more in love with him than ever.
Special moments from Conchita WURST’s first time in New York
Finally, you can’t walk away from Conchita’s first trip to New York without noticing these special things.
That drop dead gorgeous outfit Conchita wore on stage on Friday afternoon.
Because, yes, Gaga may have dressed up in Pride colors (a bit too obvious of a choice in my amateur fashion-guru mind to ever be noteworthy), and told the crowd she would take a bullet for them (oh please, girl, get down off your high drama horse!) but Conchita, in his Juergen Christian Hoerl designed outfit of a transparent black rhinestone-studded flared-leg jumpsuit and high heels, was stunning. (see photo above and video below)
Related: Conchita Wurst and JCHoerl — the iconic style duo
And I have told the lovely Mr. Hoerl on several occasions, in my five years of watching Conchita’s every move, there has been no other designer that has consistently made the Austrian singer look spectacular.
In fact, if I had my way, nobody else would dress Conchita but him.
That speech Conchita gave on Friday afternoon (video below, and try not to drool at just how gorgeous he looks). Short, cute and with a ‘Sound of Music’ joke, but with an emphasis on “while we’re all having fun, let’s make sure we remember millions of gays and lesbians around the world still live lives that are constantly in danger”.
And an appearance that, after I had pointed out Tom Neuwirth was still ‘hiding’ behind Conchita WURST just last week, he most definitely was not here.
https://youtu.be/crbgkpXkrBk?t=4646
And finally, just how happy Conchita WURST/Tom Neuwirth looks to be in New York. A city that has the potential to give him all the dreams he ever wanted. Especially if its citizens fall in love with Conchita like the rest of us already have.
And, if they get just one glimpse of what an amazing person this talented Austrian artist is, honestly, why wouldn’t they?
