1961: "Nous les amoureux" — Jean-Claude Pascal
The queer history of the ESC has long roots. Jean-Claude Pascal won in 1961 with the—initially unnoticed—gay love song Nous les amoureux.
The lyrics tell the story of two lovers who face many obstacles on their path. The gender of the song’s lovers is left open.
Nous les amoureux (We the Lovers), performed by: Jean-Claude Pascal, music: Jacques Datin, lyrics: Maurice Vidalin, Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne, 1961
Many of the allusions to social or political issues made at the song contest are deliberately vague. This allows people to interpret them in different ways and keeps them somewhat hidden. Decades later, Pascal revealed that, in his view, the love story told in the song was about two men.