How Conchita Wurst Changed This American Woman’s Life (Video)

conchita wurst winning performance eurovision
Conchita has said she wasn’t happy with her winner’s performance at Eurovision. She’s wrong. While, sure, it may not technically be the best performance she’s ever given,(although it was a damn good one), the emotion on her face and in her voice, and the happiness in her eyes touched people’s hearts. And that’s a world-class performance indeed. (comment – Leo Sigh)

This is the first in a series of articles about how Conchita Wurst changes people’s lives. You’ll find the introductory article here. One new article from a different Conchita fan will be published every day, so keep checking back. This is the first one from Teresa Michalski.

 

The morning of May 10th was like any other morning. With coffee in hand, I traipsed downstairs to log on and check my emails and read the news. Out jumped the headline “Austrian Drag Queen Wins Eurovision Song Contest”.

I kind of blinked… I knew what a drag queen was, but the rest of that made no sense. Yeah, so…. I guess it’s getting kinda nutty out there in Europe, eh? I don’t even know what Eurovision is – and why am I even reading about this on the internet in the US? Who cares?

But the photo – that just hit me like a 2 by 4. This was no run-of-the-mill garish drag queen – this was a gorgeous one! So I don’t get it… what’s the deal? Suddenly a part of me cared to find out. I went on YouTube and looked it up. My jaw hit the floor again.

She was sensational. I watched video after video… completely entranced. Songs… interviews….

Then came ‘Liking’ her on Facebook.

Then discovering I’m definitely not the only one, because in a matter of days and weeks, new FaceBook pages popped up dedicated to her from fans all over the world.

Her team of loyal supporters on her official fan page, Conchita’s Wurstgemeinde, made it possible to learn even more, sharing posts, interviews, latest news and photos. I was relieved to find I’m in the great company of those who have not stopped talking about and listening to her, and learning everything they can about her.

A lot of it was in German with English translation, and many lovely fans started to post and offer translations. I was pleased to find a new page, where more of the bilingual and English-speaking fans congregated, and several names jumped out at me from seeing them around.

I did what I rarely do – reached out and ‘Friended’ a complete stranger across the globe. Then another, and a few more… I was on a roll! I didn’t know what came over me, since I am a very private person, but the overwhelming sense of community, camaraderie, shared joy, love, respect, caring, support and friendship that I experienced – now for well over 100 days – has truly enriched my life!

Watching everything we can get our hands on and gazing at her incredible beauty – we all have fallen so madly in love with her, it’s taken all of us aback.

But there is certainly reason: not only is she talented, utterly professional in every aspect, but so very mature for her youth, surprisingly intelligent, refreshingly and genuinely humble, and often quite disarmingly charming – and absolutely hilarious!

The most beaming smile you have ever seen! A beautiful person who is taking a stand for “A future of love, peace and freedom” because “Acceptance, Tolerance, Respect, Love and Equality” is something every human being deserves and has a right to, but this is not a universal truth – yet.

That has struck the deepest chord with me because we are ALL HUMAN BEINGS, and she has ignited this fire within me to fight for those very things where I live! To start those difficult conversations, to open the door to better understanding, to not discriminate, reject and fear because someone is different from you.

Meanwhile, our daily duties and some relationship attentions may have fallen to the wayside. Our jobs, friends and significant others have either had to deal with our little ‘obsession’, adapt…. or we’d just have to ‘convert them’ .

Not surprisingly, we’ve all been talking about wanting to eventually meet. I only hope I can truly make it, because these women – and some wonderful men – are too precious, fun and crazy – to not have the best time of my life with!

And, because of Conchita again, today was a very special surprise and treat for me, when in posting some information and the latest video of my incredibly talented 15-yr-old niece, the owner of Leo Sigh was blown away enough to write an article about her and post it on the internet!

Finally, on a side note, let me say, I cannot forget that about 2 miles from my home, a young man by the name of Tyler Clementi, jumped to his death because he was a gay college student who was secretly ‘outed’ by his bullying college roommates who thought is was ‘funny’ to secretly record a private rendezvous of his with another man, then post it on the internet.

Having never told anyone in his family about his homosexuality, this so crushed his soul that he saw no other way out but to end his life. Two miles from my home.

I refuse to let another incident like this ever happen again – and I hope to at least try and start those difficult conversations among heterosexuals, and also to reach out to the LGBT community and see if I can offer any support. I have brought this up and asked fans of Conchita to look around them, where they live, and to do the work that she has started. That is truly the best influence and legacy anyone could ever hope for.

And all of this — because a 25-yr-old Austrian drag artist won the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen.

Learn the name: Conchita Wurst! She’s changing lives.
 

Teresa

About Michelle Topham

Brit-American journalist based in Austria, former radio DJ at 97X WOXY, and Founder/CEO of Leo Sigh. I've covered K-drama, K-pop, J-pop, anime, manga and music news for over a decade.