Conchita Wurst: Austria's Bearded Lady Wins Eurovision

It was close. For much of the voting stage of the competition, Austria was neck to neck with The Netherlands. But then, with just two countries left to record their tallies, Conchita stormed ahead.

She was untouchable! The entire arena had erupted into loud cheers and celebration, drowning out the poor returning officer from Switzerland, who was trying to read out his country's votes.

Conchita Wurst, a bearded drag queen from Austria - whose whole act was a reaction to the homophobic abuse suffered in childhood - had won Eurovision 2014.

Her shock was palpable. Exchanging gaping looks and hugs with friends, stunned into bending double and crouching to the floor. But there was no time for a meltdown. As soon as her triumphant name was announced in grand fanfare from the stage, she was expected up there.

Conchita's partner escorted her along the aisle, practically holding her up, as she neared the bright lights and the platform, a continent's worth of cheering ringing in her ears. Her friend had to gather up the train of her skin tight dress, in order to get her up the steps.

Then Conchita Wurst was there. Passing alone from partner to presenter, glamorous and graceful as she received a hug and took her trophy. Amid the tumult of an arena gone mad with clamoring for their new queen, she was asked if she had any words.

She nodded, yes.

Composing herself into soft words, rising like a phoenix into defiance, Conchita spoke, 'This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom. You know who you are. We are unity and we are unstoppable.'

With her trophy held high in the air and the crowd going wild - just a fraction of the 180 million watching from home - Conchita Wurst had come a long way.

If Conchita had shaved off the beard, nobody would have known that she was a man. She looked like a beautiful, classy lady. But that wasn't the point. The beard was that.

She was there to sing in a contest, but the Conchita Wurst persona had been created - three years before - as Tom Neuwirth's stand for gay rights. 'Wurst' might mean 'sausage' in German, but it also figures in the phrase, Das ist mir doch alles Wurst (It's all the same to me), and that's why Conchita chose it as her surname.

Conchita may appear to have the face and physique of a female model, but the beard flaunted the fact that she is all man. That was the challenge that she flung to the world. That was the stand that Tom wished to make.

Eurovision isn't supposed to be about politics, but of course it is. In the midst of the Ukraine Crisis and an openly homophobic stance, Russia's entry - teenage twin girls - was booed loudly. It wasn't their fault, but these acts represent their countries for better or for worse.

In Conchita's native Austria, her selection for the accolade hadn't gone down too well in some quarters. In September 2013, after it was announced that she would be the Austrian entry, fellow nationals besieged their largest broadcasting body ORF with protests. An anti-Wurst Facebook group gained 31,000 likes in just four days.

But it wasn't all of Austria. The vast majority stood behind her, or at least expressed no opinion, and they were glad that they did when she brought home the trophy.

It called upon the Russian government to boycott the contest completely. Sentiments which were then echoed by St Petersburg law-maker Vitaly Milonov, the man responsible for Russia's punitive recent anti-homosexual legislation.

However, President Putin opted to go ahead and send the Tolmachevy twins, who kept their smiles despite being loudly booed at every juncture.

Amongst those signing the All-Russian Parent Meeting petition were plenty of people from Armenia and Belarus too. Aram Mp3, the Eurovision entry from the former, caused a bit of controversy in March, when he made blatantly homophobic remarks. But he's also a comedian, so the exchange between him and Conchita could equally have been joking.

He later apologized, telling the singer that was precisely the manner in which it should have been received. Things had become lost in translation.

Meanwhile, homophobic petitioners in Belarus were attempting to get Conchita Wurst edited out of Eurovision, when the show aired in their nation.

It's quite telling that none of these governments gave into such demands. Russia, Armenia and Belarus all sent their contestants and streamed the competition live in its totality. It seems that even rampant homophobia gives way, when there's national pride at stake and a spectacle to enjoy.

Conchita Wurst answered them all on the night, when thirteen countries awarded her their top marks. Europe stood behind her.