No matter where it happens, we get all excited when a ‘kiss cam’ zeroes in on a more-than-willing gay couple.
And such was the case during the first night of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest currently taking place in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Trans singer and 1998 Eurovision Song Contest champ, Dana International, was performing an upbeat, bouncy version of Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are.”
Throughout the song, the audience was treated to shots of couples going in for the smooch.
But it was a gay couple’s lip-lock that got the biggest and best reaction from the crowd.
Click the Twitter video below and enjoy.
😭 CRYING AT THE DANA INTERNATIONAL KISS CAM. #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/3cjaZC3gGU
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) May 14, 2019
If you’re quick, you can see another gay couple in smooch-mode at the very beginning of the segment.
The Eurovision Song Contest has long celebrated a message of acceptance.
Dana, who won the international competition 21 years ago for Israel, told the crowd, “Love has no religion, love has no race, love has no limits, love is love. We all deserve to be loved.”
The show’s host, Assi Azar, shared before Dana’s performance that her groundbreaking win back in 1998 and her ‘unbelievable life story’ helped him to come out. He credited the singer with helping “millions of people around the world” to feel comfortable with who they are.
However, a TV host from Belarus, Yavhen Perlin, wasn’t so enchanted by the kissy-goodness.
On the air, broadcasting back to his country, Perlin initially got excited about the kiss-cam. But when he saw the first couple was gay, he told his viewers, “Oh, my goodness – maybe we’d better not watch.”
Perlin felt more at ease with the next couple, who were heterosexual (“Ok, so far so good!”), but expressed more dismay when the camera found the following male couple (“Oh, come on!”).
Perhaps this ignorant presenter has somewhat missed the point of #Eurovision…Eurovision 2019: Belarus TV host's homophobic remarks condemned https://t.co/DnsfyVqMCg
— MarkFitz (@Mancfitzlaw) May 15, 2019
According to the BBC, several journalists took to social media to denounce Perlin’s comments.
“I feel so embarrassed,” wrote Radio Liberty’s Ales Piletski on Facebook. “The good thing is these boorish jokes are not heard in other countries.”
And speaking of other countries, many on social media were thrilled that the same-sex kiss was broadcast live, which meant many countries that aren’t so LGBT-friendly – like Russia – got a healthy view of man-on-man make-out session.
An image of two men sharing a kiss broadcast to millions across the world. Giving hope to people who live in countries where this simple act is a crime.
That’s the power of #Eurovision and I absolutely love it. pic.twitter.com/CEY9Rjommt
— Liam Beattie (@Liam_Beattie) May 14, 2019
Russia had to play those gay kisses on national tv😂😂😂✊✊✊ #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/o4ZctKW22R
— go.wait.in.the.car (@yg_vs_yg) May 14, 2019
So many gay kisses on national TV, can you feel the audiences trembling? #Eurovision
— 🍑Zwischen Immer und Nie🍑 (@GregoryJMatz) May 14, 2019
Eurovision love kisscam steals the show. Dana international was sensational and to see so many kisses from gaymen, straight couple's, senior couples was utterly moving. Hopefully it will come back for lesbian kisses and trans and everybody else. #kisscam #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/nuIZk3nFh8
— ROMEO (@PlanetRomeo) May 14, 2019
first it was a kiss cam showing 2 men, and then one of the presenters talking about his husband.
Russian authorities are shitting themselves right now XD#Eurovision #Eurovision2019— Masha 🏳️🌈 (@nicereminders) May 14, 2019
