TL;DR
- Vietnam’s Duc Phuc won Russia’s Intervision song contest.
- The contest is Putin’s conservative alternative to Eurovision.
- Intervision promotes “traditional family values” and excludes LGBTQ visibility.
- Russia weaponizes culture against the West while banning queer expression.
- The LGBTQ community sees Intervision as a blatant erasure tactic.
Vietnam Takes Putin’s Stage
MOSCOW — Vietnam walked away with the trophy — and a fat $360,000 check — at the Kremlin’s latest attempt to rewrite pop culture: the Intervision International Music Contest. A glitzy event dressed up as a rival to Eurovision, Intervision is Moscow’s bid to flex soft power while locking LGBTQ visibility out of the frame.
President Vladimir Putin personally revived the Soviet-era showpiece earlier this year, decreeing it the straight-laced antidote to Europe’s campiest export. Russia has been barred from Eurovision since 2022, after its bloody invasion of Ukraine. So, what do you do when you can’t sit with the cool kids anymore? You throw your own party — and make sure drag queens are nowhere near the guest list.
A Stage Without Sequins
Intervision boasted acts from over 20 countries, including China, India, Brazil, and other “friendly nations.” Vietnam’s entrant Duc Phuc wowed the jury with a folktale-inspired ballad and enough pyrotechnics to make Eurovision blush. Kyrgyzstan snagged second place, while Qatar placed third.
But the vibe? Less Pride parade, more “family values.” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov couldn’t resist sneering at Eurovision, shading its history of “a bearded man in a dress” — a thinly veiled jab at Conchita Wurst, the Austrian drag queen who snatched the crown in 2014. In today’s Russia, that kind of visibility is branded extremist. Literally. LGBTQ organizations are officially outlawed.
Propaganda in Sequins
The Kremlin packaged Intervision as cultural diplomacy, beaming it across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. But Kyiv blasted the contest as a propaganda machine in rhinestones. The U.S. never quite made it to the stage — one American performer after another dropped out, citing family drama or, in the case of Vassy, political heat.
Meanwhile, Russia’s own pop nationalist “Shaman” theatrically bowed out, asking jurors to skip his act since Moscow was hosting. Next year’s show, organizers say, will be staged in Saudi Arabia. From Moscow to Riyadh, the message is clear: no rainbow flags allowed.
Intervision isn’t just another cheesy songfest. It’s a deliberate counterattack on global queer culture. Eurovision has long been a sanctuary for LGBTQ fans — a place where drag queens, divas, and unapologetic camp could command the stage. Russia’s answer strips all that away, enforcing a sterile vision of art where “family values” mean silencing queer voices.
For LGBTQ people in Russia, the contest is another reminder of erasure. For queer fans worldwide, it’s a sobering sign of how authoritarian regimes are using culture wars as a weapon. While Vietnam may have earned its moment in the spotlight, the bigger story is who’s being forced into the shadows.
Because let’s be real: what’s a song contest without sequins, queers, and a little fabulous chaos? Certainly not the global celebration we know as Eurovision. Intervision may crown winners, but it’s losing the battle for hearts — especially those draped in rainbow flags.