INFO:

Eurovision winner Nemo has said that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the Eurovision Song Contest, is not taking its “responsibility” towards LGBTQ+ people seriously by enforcing rules banning Pride flags. Last month, it was confirmed that this year’s Eurovision contestants and their delegates will be banned from bringing any flag that isn’t the flag of the country they are representing into any official Eurovision event. In essence, the new rule prevents participants from bringing any variation of the Pride flag on to the main stage at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel, to the Green Room, the Eurovision Village stage, Flag Parade or Turquoise Carpet. The updated rule comes after last year’s history-making non-binary entrant for Switzerland, Nemo, who went on to win the competition, had to “smuggle” a non-binary flag into last year’s Flag Parade. fter the fact, the “The Code” singer said that they had to “smuggle” the flag into the area after they were initially prohibited from taking it in. Speaking exclusively to PinkNews, Nemo said that they are “confused” by the new guidance and believes that the EBU is letting down Eurovision’s huge LGBTQ+ fanbase by preventing LGBTQ+ artists from celebrating with Pride flags. “At this point, I’m very confused,” the 25-year-old said. “Last year… I was preparing my non-binary flag and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to go with the Swiss flag and the non-binary flag’ and then someone was like, ‘Oh sorry, you can’t take that in, it’s forbidden on stage’ and I was like, ‘OK, I’m just going to keep quiet and put it somewhere where no one can see it’.” Nemo said that after they won, official Eurovision social media accounts posted photos of them holding the non-binary flag in celebration, despite them being told they weren’t allowed to brandish it.