UN secretary general, Austria’s Conchita Wurst call for end to LGBT bias

VIENNA — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has joined Austrian cross-dressing pop star Conchita Wurst in calling for an end to bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Wurst teamed up with Ban on Monday on the sidelines of a U.N. conference to deliver their message of tolerance.

Ban told reporters that he will continue his fight “against transphobia and homophobia.”

Get the Daily Brief

The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you:

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Article continues below

“I stand strong for equality,” Ban said. “We are unstoppable,” he added, quoting Wurst’s words on the night of her victory at this year’s Eurovision song contest.

The bearded Austrian diva said she dreamt of “a future where we don’t have to talk about sexual orientation or the color of your skin.”

And, of course, she sang “Rise Like a Phoenix,” the song that won her the Eurovision prize.