Category: Read with Pride – LGBTQ+ blogs and articles

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t quite fit the mold, whether it’s at work, with family, or just in the world at large, then Netta Barzilai’s 2018 Eurovision winner “Toy” might just be your unofficial anthem. And if you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community, you’ve probably already claimed it as such. The Israeli singer …

Netta's Toy: An Anthem for the MisfitsRead More

May 2024 will forever be etched in Eurovision history: not just because Switzerland finally won after 36 years, but because of who brought home that trophy. Nemo, a 24-year-old non-binary powerhouse, didn’t just win the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. They shattered expectations, broke barriers, and gave the world a masterclass in authenticity with their genre-defying …

Nemo and The Code: A Non-Binary VictoryRead More

When Ireland’s Bambie Thug stepped onto the Eurovision stage in 2024 dressed as a horned demon, surrounded by candles arranged in a pentagram, they weren’t just performing a song: they were making a statement. In a competition often criticized for its sanitized pop offerings, Bambie brought something Eurovision hadn’t seen in years: raw, unapologetic queer …

Bambie Thug: Queering the Alternative StageRead More

Eurovision isn’t just a song contest, it’s a celebration, a safe space, and for many in the LGBTQ+ community, it’s home. And if any contest embodied that truth, it was Malmö 2013. Sweden didn’t just host Eurovision that year; they threw open the doors and said, “Come as you are. We’ve been waiting for you.” …

Unite Us: Malmö's Queer EmbraceRead More

Thirteen years is a long time in pop culture. In 1998, when Dana International won Eurovision with “Diva,” the world was a different place. Trans visibility was minimal, the internet was still finding its feet, and a trans woman winning Europe’s biggest song contest was genuinely revolutionary. So when Dana decided to return to the …

The Queen Returns: Dana International in 2011Read More

When Australia sent Montaigne to Eurovision 2021 with “Technicolour,” they didn’t just send a song: they sent a whole vibe. A kaleidoscopic explosion of queer joy, artistic fearlessness, and the kind of authentic energy that makes Eurovision the cultural phenomenon it is. And honestly? We’re still not over it. Who is Montaigne? Born Jessica Cerro, …

Montaigne: Living Life in TechnicolourRead More

Every year when Eurovision rolls around, millions of viewers across the UK settle in for an evening of camp, chaos, and questionable costume choices. And guiding them through it all with razor-sharp wit and affectionate snark is Graham Norton, the man who transformed Eurovision commentary from a national institution into a queer cultural phenomenon. The …

Graham Norton: The Voice of the CommunityRead More

There are songs that play in the background of our lives, and then there are songs that become our lives. Songs that pulse through the speakers at 2 AM when the dance floor is packed and everyone’s singing along like their heart depends on it. For the queer community, Loreen gave us two of those …

Loreen: The Soundtrack to Our NightsRead More

Eurovision has always been more than just a song contest. It’s a celebration of diversity, a glittering spectacle where sequins meet solidarity, and where the LGBTQ+ community has long found a home. But what happens when this beacon of acceptance lands in a place where being queer isn’t celebrated, it’s condemned? That’s exactly what happened …

Moscow 2009: When Celebration Met RealityRead More

Sometimes the brightest stars are forged in the darkest places. When Hovi Star stepped onto the Eurovision stage in Stockholm on May 14, 2016, representing Israel with his soaring ballad “Made of Stars,” he wasn’t just performing a song, he was rewriting his own narrative. From a bullied kid to a beacon of hope for …

Hovi Star: Shining Through the DarkRead More

When Finland sent Saara Aalto to Lisbon for Eurovision 2018, they weren’t just sending a singer, they were sending a phenomenon. With her song “Monsters,” Aalto stepped onto that iconic stage and delivered a performance that had 180 million viewers captivated, cementing her status as one of the Nordic region’s most beloved pop icons and …

Saara Aalto: Finland's Lesbian Pop RoyaltyRead More

If you’ve ever wondered where Eurovision truly lives and breathes after the cameras stop rolling, the answer is simple: Euroclub. This isn’t just another after-party. It’s a phenomenon, a sanctuary, and quite possibly the queerest place on Earth for one glorious week every May. For over three decades, Euroclub has been the beating heart of …

Inside Euroclub: Where Every Night is PrideRead More

When Michael Ball took to the Eurovision stage in 1992 with “One Step Out of Time,” he wasn’t just representing the United Kingdom: he was embodying a cultural crossroads that the LGBTQ+ community had been celebrating for decades. The West End and Eurovision have always been two sides of the same fabulous, glittery coin, and …

Eurovision and the West End ConnectionRead More

There’s something deliciously complicated about gay culture’s relationship with divas. We love them, worship them, quote them endlessly, and sometimes, we can’t quite tell when someone’s taking the piss. Enter Silvía Night, Iceland’s gloriously messy 2006 Eurovision entry, who walked the razor-thin line between satirical critique and full-blown diva worship so expertly that even the …

Silvía Night: Diva Worship and SatireRead More

Before there was Conchita Wurst’s phoenix-like rise, before Dana International shattered barriers, and long before Eurovision became the glittering, unapologetically queer spectacle we know and love today, there was a moment in 1997 that quietly resonated with LGBTQ+ hearts across Europe. Katrina and the Waves took the stage in Dublin with “Love Shine a Light,” …

Katrina: Walking on Sunshine and PrideRead More

Leaving Everything Behind In Pakistan, Section 377 of the Penal Code criminalizes same-sex intimacy with penalties ranging from two years to life imprisonment. For Amir, a 28-year-old software engineer from Karachi, this wasn’t just a law, it was a death sentence waiting to happen. After a colleague discovered messages on his phone and threatened to …

From Karachi to VancouverRead More

ESCAPE STORIES FROM CRIMINALIZED NATIONS : AVAILABLE NOW AT READWITHPRIDE.COM Over 71 million LGBTQ+ people live in countries where their identity is illegal. Over 60 nations still criminalize same-sex intimacy. This is the first in a collection of 40 stories documenting real escapes to freedom. Visit Read with Pride for the complete series. The Last …

The Forbidden Whisper of TehranRead More

When Staying Means Death: Cameroon’s LGBTQ+ Crisis Cameroon criminalizes same-sex relationships with prison sentences up to five years. Physical violence, mob attacks, and extrajudicial killings target LGBTQ+ individuals daily. Over 71 million LGBTQ+ people worldwide live under these conditions. Cameroon represents one of Africa’s most dangerous nations for gay and bisexual men. Visit Read with …

Leaving the Lion's Den: A Cameroon StoryRead More

FEATURED COLLECTION: Explore stories of resilience and courage in our LGBTQ+ fiction collection. Use code PRIDE15 for 15% off all titles. When Home Becomes the Danger Zone Over 71 million LGBTQ+ people worldwide live in countries where their identity is criminalized. In Russia, the escalation of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has transformed daily life into a calculation …

The Midnight Train from MoscowRead More

For thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals, leaving home isn’t a choice: it’s survival. Angola, like over 60 countries worldwide, criminalizes same-sex relationships, forcing queer people to live in fear, face imprisonment, or risk violence. But across the Atlantic, Lisbon has become a beacon of hope, offering not just legal protection but a vibrant, welcoming community where …

A New Life in Lisbon: Escaping AngolaRead More