LGBTQ campaigners denounce Eurovision 'pinkwashing' ahead of final

LGBTQ campaigners denounce Eurovision 'pinkwashing' ahead of final Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 05/14/2026 - 16:56 Queer campaigners say LGBTQ community should boycott Saturday's final over Gaza genocide Spectators wearing raincoats in rainbow colours gather at the fan area in front of the City Hall in Vienna on 14 May 2026, prior to the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest (Max Slovencik / APA / AFP) Off Queer activists have accused the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) of "pinkwashing" Israel ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest final on Saturday. Thursday evening's show included a pre-recorded message about the LGBTQ community, often seen as a key audience for the event, detailing the history of the contest and its openness to the community. However, many LGBTQ activists have been among those vocally opposing Israel's involvement and say the country and the EBU, which runs the event, are engaged in laundering Israel's reputation or "pinkwashing".