Conchita Wurst

Regarding her appearance at the Opera Ball, a Kronen Zeitung column described her, among other terms, as "verhaltensgestört" and "krank". The Austrian Press Council found that these expressions violated the principle of respect for human dignity.

State of the evidence

publication of the column and Presserat decision documented

Legal status — source text

press self-regulatory proceedings; no personal wrongdoing by Conchita Wurst

Attribution

Conchita Wurst was the target of remarks sanctioned by the self-regulatory body

Conchita Wurst publicly announced that she was living with HIV after stating that a former partner had threatened to disclose the information. She explained that she had chosen to make her status public herself in order to regain control over her privacy.

State of the evidence

public disclosure and alleged threat reported by several reputable media outlets

Legal status — source text

no personal legal proceedings identified against Conchita Wurst

Attribution

Conchita Wurst was the person exposed, not the perpetrator of any wrongdoing

ORF internally selected Conchita Wurst to represent Austria at Eurovision 2014, without an open televised selection process. The decision sparked strong online opposition, combining criticism of the selection procedure with hostile messages targeting her drag queen persona.

State of the evidence

internal selection, petitions and public reactions documented

Legal status — source text

no personal legal proceedings identified

Attribution

Conchita Wurst was the target of the opposition; no personal wrongdoing established

Her Eurovision victory triggered hostile political reactions, particularly in Russia and other conservative countries, where officials denounced the LGBT visibility embodied by her performance and called for restrictions or alternatives to the contest.

State of the evidence

reactions from political and religious officials documented

Legal status — source text

no personal legal proceedings

Attribution

Conchita Wurst was primarily the target and symbol of the controversy

Conchita Wurst's representatives demanded approximately 20,000 euros from a dating agency that used a slogan playing on "ist mir Wurst" and an image of a bearded man. The agency disputed the suggestion that the expression or this aesthetic could be monopolised.

State of the evidence

formal notice and public dispute documented

Legal status — source text

reported threat of legal action; final judicial outcome not established in the sources reviewed

Attribution

personal responsibility limited to the assertion of rights through her legal representative