Thomas "Tom"Neuwirth (born 6 November 1988) is an Austrian singer, media personality anddrag queen who is known for his stage personaConchita Wurst. He came to international attention after winning theEurovision Song Contest 2014 forAustria with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix".[1]
Born inGmunden, Neuwirth moved toGraz to do hisMatura exam with a focus on fashion, before embarking on a singing career through the 2007 casting showStarmania. He subsequently became a founding member ofJetzt Anders!, a short-livedboy band. In 2011, Neuwirth began appearing as Conchita—a female character noted for her beard—and came second in theAustrian national final for theEurovision Song Contest 2012.
Two years later, Neuwirth was internally selected to represent Austria as Conchita at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. His win brought him international attention and established him as agay icon, resulting in invitations to perform at variouspride parades, theEuropean Parliament, and theUnited Nations Office in Vienna.
Thomas Neuwirth was born on 6 November 1988 inGmunden and raised in the small town ofBad Mitterndorf, in theStyrian countryside in Austria.[2] He has stated that the mountainous area was a wonderful place to grow up, but that he faced prejudice for being gay: "Being a teenager, a gay teenager, in such a small village is not that much fun. I am part of thegay community and most gays have a similar story to mine."[3]
From an early age he recognised that he was different from other children, initially believing that this was because there was "something wrong" with him.[4] He occasionally wore a skirt to kindergarten and then school,[4] although subsequently felt that he could only be happy doing so in the attic of his home. Aged 14, Neuwirth moved toGraz to attend school, with a focus on fashion.[3] His fashion icon wasVictoria Beckham.[5]
In 2006, Neuwirth took part in the third edition of the Austrian TV showStarmania, finishing in second place behindNadine Beiler. One year later, Neuwirth founded the boybandJetzt Anders!, but the group disbanded that same year.[6]
It was after this that Neuwirth developed the drag persona of Conchita Wurst, a bearded woman. In the German language, "Wurst" means "sausage", although Neuwirth relates the choice of last name to the common German expression "Das ist mir doch alles Wurst", which translates as "it's all the same to me" or "I don't care", stating that the name emerged from the first meaning of that expression.[7] The name "Conchita" had been adopted from a Cuban friend of his.[7] In an interview, he also explained thatconchita is Spanishslang for vagina[8] andWurst is German slang for penis.[9]
Neuwirth asserted that the inclusion of the beard as part of the Conchita character was "a statement to say that you can achieve anything, no matter who you are or how you look."[3] The inclusion of a beard as part of the drag look was not unique, having been pioneered in the 1970s byThe Cockettes in San Francisco and the Bloolips in London.[10]
Conchita's first appearance was onORF's showDie große Chance in 2011, where she achieved 6th place.[11] In 2012, she competed in theAustrian National Final for theEurovision Song Contest 2012 and came second.[12] Conchita then appeared in the ORF showThe Hardest Jobs of Austria, working in a fish processing plant, and inWild Girls, in which a group of candidates had to survive in the deserts ofNamibia together with native tribes.[13]
On 10 September 2013, Austrian national broadcasterORF announced that it had selected Conchita to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, to be held inCopenhagen, Denmark, in May 2014.[14] In March 2014, Conchita's song was revealed as "Rise Like a Phoenix",[15] with bookmakers placing her entry as one of the ten favourites to win.[3] Despite Eurovision's reputation forcampness, Conchita's performance was designed to be serious and in good taste, and she was one of just a few performers to appear onstage alone.[16] Although individuals who identified as LGBT had appeared on Eurovision before—most notably Israel'sDana International, who won in1998—Conchita's appearance was described by theNew Statesman as the "mostgenderqueer yet".[10]
Conchita's selection proved controversial and attracted criticism from conservative groups, particularly in Eastern Europe, thus highlighting thecontinent's regional divide between east and west on the issue of homosexuality.[3][10] In Austria, within four days after ORF announced its decision more than 31,000 people 'liked' an "Anti-Wurst" page on social networking serviceFacebook.[17] Petitions emerged in Russia and Belarus calling for their respective national broadcasters to edit out Conchita's performance from the televised contest; the Russian petition asserted that Eurovision had become "a hotbed ofsodomy, at the initiation ofEuropean liberals".[3][18][19] Conservative Russian politicianVitaly Milonov urged Russia's Eurovision selection committee to boycott the competition as a result of Conchita's inclusion, describing her performance as "blatantpropaganda of homosexuality and spiritual decay" and referring to her as the "pervert from Austria".[20]Armenia's entry for the contest,Aram Mp3, stated that Neuwirth's lifestyle was "not natural" and that he should decide whether he was a man or woman. Neuwirth responded, "I told him I don't want to be a woman. I am just a workingqueen and a very lazy boy at home." Aram subsequently apologised, stating that his prior comments had been intended as a joke.[3]
Reacting to these sentiments, theNew Statesman commented that "a vote for Wurst is another vote against Russianhomophobia andtransphobia, and a win would send out a strong message of defiance eastwards",[10] while theInternational Business Times called on readers to vote for Conchita to upset homophobes.[21] Highlighting statements such as these as evidence,Spiked declared that many Western European commentators and politicos had adopted Conchita as "a symbol of everything that makes Western Europe superior to the East" and that she had thus become part of aculture war against both Russia and "the so-called bigots and backward types" in their own nations.[22]
Conchita holding the Eurovision trophy after winning the contest
At the second semi-final on 8 May, Neuwirth, as Conchita, qualified for the final on 10 May. At the finals held in Copenhagen on 10 May 2014, she won the competition with 290 points. This was Austria's first Eurovision win since theEurovision Song Contest 1966.[23][24] Conchita's victory was also the first time a singer won without backing singers or dancers since1970.
Points allocated to Austria in the ESC 2014
Conchita's entry gained high scores from Western European countries as well as some in the East, such as Georgia and Ukraine.[16] However, the levels of support for Conchita varied across Europe: on average she received 4.4 points out of 12 from thepost-Soviet states (excluding theBaltic states), 6 points from the other ex-socialist states, and 10.5 points from Western Europe, Scandinavia, Greece, and Israel.[25] Commenting on this,political analyst Alan Renwick of the BritishUniversity of Reading asserted that "Even in those countries where the ruling elites are often highly intolerant, the wider population might be readier to accept that different people might be different."[25]
On returning to Austria, Conchita was greeted at the airport by a crowd of over 1,000 cheering fans, many wearing fake beards and singing "Rise Like a Phoenix".[24] To journalists, she expanded on the message of tolerance which she had championed at Eurovision: "It was not just a victory for me but a victory for those people who believe in a future that can function without discrimination and is based on tolerance and respect."[16][24] President of AustriaHeinz Fischer asserted that it was "not just a victory for Austria, but above all for diversity and tolerance in Europe".[24] A local radio station celebrated by playing "Rise Like a Phoenix" on a loop 48 times over four hours.[24] The UK's Eurovision commentatorGraham Norton commented on the socio-political significance of Conchita's victory: "it seems like Eurovision has done something that matters just a little bit".[16] Greek singers and former Eurovision entrantsHelena Paparizou andAnna Vissi expressed their liking of the song and Conchita's appearance.[26][27] Vissi also compared the latter to Italian singerMina's similar appearance as a bearded woman on the cover of a1981 album of hers, to critically highlight that "[it is] 2014 and we still cannot accept statements of diversity."[28]
Following her victory, Conchita became an icon for Europe's LGBT community.[5][29] Vienna'stourist board hoped to use Conchita to encourage more gay holidaymakers to visit the city, using her image on the Facebook page "Gay-friendly Vienna".[30]The Week stated that she had become "a serious figure of hope" for some LGBT people living "under the shadow of officially-sanctioned intolerance" in various European countries,[31] while British trans activistParis Lees commented that across Europe she inspired "millions of people" and stood up for "everyone who has ever been made to feel ashamed or afraid for being different."[32] LGBT rights groups in Serbia and Croatia criticised the tone with which their national broadcasters referred to Conchita, deeming it offensive and homophobic; Serbia'sRTS subsequently issued a letter of apology.[25]
In Russia, "Rise Like a Phoenix" topped the internet download chart two days after the competition.[33] Fans of Conchita and LGBT rights activists applied to hold a Conchita Wurst March of Bearded Women and Men through Moscow, Russia, on 27 May, a date commemorating the 21st anniversary since the legalisation of same-sex sexual activity in the country. Officials from the city's security department rejected the request, citing a wish to "respect morality in the education of the younger generation" and to prevent violent clashes between marchers and anti-gay demonstrators.[29] Russian singerPhilipp Kirkorov, who helped write the Eurovision song "Shine", called on Russians to respect Conchita's victory, saying: "it was the song that won, and in my opinion it was a beautiful song."[34]
Criticism continued to be made following Conchita's victory.Volkan Bozkır, then chairman of Turkey's foreign affairs committee, remarked "thank God we no longer participate in Eurovision".[35] The leader of Poland's oppositionLaw and Justice (PiS) party,Jarosław Kaczyński, said that "Very disquieting things are going on in Europe, things that show decadence, downturn and we would like to reverse this trend."[36][37] The spokesperson of the Law and Justice (PiS) party stated that "Conchita Wurst is (...) a symbol of Europe I don't want. My Europe is based onChristian values."[37]Deputy Prime Minister of RussiaDmitry Rogozin posted on social networking serviceTwitter that the result "showed supporters ofEuropean integration their European future: a bearded girl."[24] Russia's opposition politician, theultra-nationalistVladimir Zhirinovsky, proclaimed "There's no limit to our outrage. It's the end of Europe", later adding that "Fifty years ago theSoviet armyoccupied Austria. We made a mistake in freeing Austria. We should have stayed."[24][29] Deputy leader of Russia's oppositionCommunist Party,Valery Rashkin, announced that "The last Eurovision results exhausted our patience... We cannot tolerate this endless madness", calling for the foundation of an alternative, The Voice ofEurasia, in which Russia and its neighbouring allies could compete.[38] TheRussian Orthodox Church condemned Conchita's victory, withVladimir Legoyda, chairman of the church's information department, describing it as "yet one more step in the rejection of the Christian identity of European culture", reflecting an attempt to "reinforce new cultural norms".[39] A social media campaign involved Russian men shaving off their beards in protest at Conchita's victory; those taking part included broadcasterAndrey Malakhov and rapper Aleksander "ST" Stepanov.[40]
Patriarch Irinej of Serbia asserted that the2014 Southeast Europe floods (mainly in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina) were "divine punishment" fromGod for Conchita's victory.[41]Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro also blamed Conchita's victory for the floods.[41] Irish television presenter for theBBC and former Eurovision BBC commentatorTerry Wogan described that year's performance as a "freak show".[42] Reacting to these critics, Conchita stated "It's so ridiculous! For me a perfect world would be when we don't have to talk about sexuality, where you're from, what you believe. Is this the worst thing in the mind of the politicians?"[4] She stated her desire to perform in Russia for the country's LGBT community, "To tell them that they are not alone. The whole community around the world is standing behind them. They have to trust that if they open their mouth, then we can change something."[4] To a reporter fromThe Observer, she commented: "It's funny that these people think I'm so powerful. I've figured out over the years, you can only hurt me if I love you; if I don't know you, I really don't care. There are people who want to kill me and I'm always like, 'Well, get in line, darling.'"[5]
Conchita performing at London's gaysuperclubHeaven in May 2014
On 28 June 2014, Conchita performed onstage atTrafalgar Square in central London as the headline act during the city's annualLGBT Pride Parade. She was introduced onstage by actor and LGBT rights campaignerIan McKellen, and performed to a crowd of over 300,000 alongside actsSamantha Fox andSinitta. She informed reporters fromThe Observer that "I don't want to say the other Prides are less good, but I fell in love with London immediately, so today is a very special day for me. All the drag queens looked stunning."[5]
On 9 July, she made her modelling debut on thecatwalk at fashion designerJean Paul Gaultier's Couture show in Paris, where she took the final spot, which is usually reserved for Gaultier's favourite model.[48] In August she modeledGivenchy clothing forKarl Lagerfeld's fashion editorial, "The New Normal", published inCarine Roitfeld'sCR Fashion Book.[49] She was invited to attend the 2015 Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles as part of the Austrian delegation supporting nominee Christoph Waltz.[50]
On 3 November, she performed at theUnited Nations Office at Vienna in front of UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon. A spokesperson for Ban described Conchita as a "cultural icon" and asserted that "Everyone is entitled to enjoy the same basic rights and live a life of worth and dignity without discrimination. This fundamental principle is embedded in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Conchita is a symbol in that sense and I think it's good for them to meet. [The meeting allows us] to reassert his support for LGBT people and for them to ensure that they enjoy the same human rights and protection that we all do."[53] Conchita proceeded to state that she would like to spend a week with Russian President Putin in order to better understand him and his government's stance on LGBT rights.[54]
Conchita proceeded to begin work on an album influenced by "mature ladies" likeCher,Shirley Bassey, andTina Turner.[5] Her first post-Eurovision single, "Heroes", was released on 8 November 2014. Conchita performed the song for the first time onWetten, dass..?.[55][56]
On 7 May 2015, Conchita published her autobiography withJohn Blake Publishing.[58] Conchita's debut albumConchita was released on 15 May 2015. It was preceded by her second single after winning the Eurovision Song Contest, "You Are Unstoppable", which was released on 5 March 2015. "Firestorm" and "Colours of Your Love", two tracks from the debut album, were released as a double A-side single on 7 August 2015.
In 2019, Neuwirth revealed that he would be splitting the characters, Conchita would continue with the more feminine style of performance, while a new mononymous persona called Wurst would allow for a more masculine expression. Neuwirth also announced that he would be releasing new music as Wurst. The single "Trash All the Glam" was released 8 March 2019 through Sony Music Austria.[62] The second single shortly followed, entitled "Hit Me", which was said to be a hit back to a former boyfriend of Neuwirth's who he was receiving threats from about how he would publicly reveal his HIV-positive status. A third single, "See Me Now" was released on 5 April 2019. The album was announced under the nameTruth Over Magnitude,[63] and was produced by Albin Janoska.[64]
In 2019, Conchita became a permanent judge on the drag competition reality seriesQueen of Drags alongsideHeidi Klum andBill Kaulitz.[65]
Neuwirth created a fictional back story for the Conchita character, claiming that he was born in the mountains ofColombia and is married to the Frenchburlesque dancer Jacques Patriaque, a friend of Neuwirth's.[5][68] He compared the use of the character to American singerBeyoncé's adoption of theSasha Fierce alter ego, or singerLady Gaga's use of various costumes, being a way to protect Neuwirth's own private life.[5]
In 2018, Neuwirth disclosed that he isHIV-positive[69] and has beenundetectable (and thus not infectious) for several years.[69] He wrote through anInstagram post that he felt compelled to come out as HIV-positive due to persistent threats from a former boyfriend that he would publicly reveal Neuwirth's status.[69][70]
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