Person is Not a Rude Word

image courtesy Salzburg Nachrichten

Any ideas for the post on my return to this blog (after ‘time out’ at HaikuCity2014) were superceded last night by the winning of the Eurovision Song Contest by Conchita ‘Wunderbar’ Wurst of Austria.

Dubbed the ‘Bearded Lady’ and drag artist, this amazingly-androgynous, gender-blending singer with a belting voice, super-trimmed facial hair and lashes-for-days was the deserved winner with her song ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’.

Just as transwoman (and first transgender) contestant, Dana International caused a stirring of the Eurovision ashes in 1998 when she won for Israel, such celebrity winnings become ‘a phoenix of hope’ for trans people.

For me as a transgenderqueer individual striving for the acknowledgement of ‘person’ as the operative identity of any&everyone – rather than a binary gender identity of male or female – the vision of gender-busting Conchita singing-to-win was intensely moving.

When the fashion furore, the curiosity controversy & the glitz glamour publicity has died down, maybe – just maybe – this Austrian individual will be recognised as the not-a-rude-word-person that they are…

image courtesy Thomas Ramstorfer

Enjoy these ‘transishews’ links (again)!

Announcement of Conchita’s win by the BBC  and Austrian news:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27358560

http://www.salzburg.com/nachrichten/dossier/songcontest2014/sn/artikel/eurovision-song

YouTube video coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest winner:

http://youtu.be/t1LDkNuEHA4 

Conchita Wurst sings ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’:

http://youtu.be/e_fJQ-aOTv4