Following Måns Zelmerlöw‘s landslide victory at Melodifestivalen 2015, the champagne flowed. So too did accusations that the “Heroes” singer is homophobic. We’re here to say he isn’t — and to throw our support behind the man who may soon conquer Eurovision.
The kerfuffle goes back to March 2014 when Måns appeared on the popular TV programme “Pluras kök“, during which a group of celebrities gather to eat dinner with the host and have it all recorded. Måns found himself in a debate about homosexuality. He explained that “it isn’t equally natural for men to want to sleep with one another” and called homosexuality an “avvikelse”, which can best be translated as an abnormality. He quickly qualified the statement, saying “there isn’t anything wrong with it at all.”
That didn’t convince everyone. Following anger from some prominent members of the LGBT community, including BWO singer Alexander Bard, Måns issued several apologies. The basic gyst is this: He was talking “abnormal” in the statistical sense. But when you’ve had a few drinks and are being filmed, it’s easy to stumble over one’s words.
We published an article — which included his public apology — on March 23, 2014. Since then Måns has more than atoned for his slip of the tongue, and the Swedish public has moved on. See, for instance, this explanation of the situation from Swedish journalist Hanna Fahl. The conclusion? Måns had a bad night on the show and could have been more precise with his language, but all is forgiven.
wiwibloggs had long forgotten about this episode, and we haven’t shared the story on any of our social media networks. Yet in recent days Eurovision and Melfest fans have been sharing the story in various forums and message boards. And that led a number of British newspapers and magazines — first the Pink News, and then the Independent and Attitude — to jump on board. Our article has the publication date — March 23, 2014 —clearly flagged at the top. In an update to the story we explain that this is no longer news. And the title even says he apologised. But in most instances, people aren’t clocking that. Some readers are acting as if this happened recently, and most people are forgetting that Måns has apologised (repeatedly) and been forgiven. Our article was not the end point of this story, but rather one moment along the way.
Some have suggested that we should delete our article. We’re not going to do that, as you don’t just delete history because it’s unpleasant. However, we will shout this from the rafters: Måns Zelmerlöw is not a homophobe. Three of us — all of whom are very L, G, B, or T — met up with Måns recently at a Stockholm shopping mall. He came off as englightened, warm, open-minded and generally lovely. We can smell a homophobe a mile away. Måns isn’t among them.
People who live in glass houses….Anti-gay singer and massive military NATO drills all over the North of our country. Not bad for an so called open, all inclusive and neutral society. Why is there no massive booing for this competitor? Oh hold, on…it’s Sweden. Congratulations Måns and keep the P.R machine firmly running.
It’s funny, when people are anonymous they are what they are, they express their real thoughts.. But after becoming famous, they come anda say “Oh I am sorry, I didn’t mean that..”, “Oh I am not homophobic”…. Bullsh*t! I am really disappointed with this guy, first was his performance was a copy of Daft Punk, and now he seems to be a retarded from the Paleolithic….. Shame!
it’s a shame, thought better of sweden. well hey ho
Well, he did win, but the comments he made remain. Not all homophobes hate gays. There are many who just think it s not so natural, as them being straight. These comnents were quickly forgiven in Sweden but they are used worldwide to demonize gays, to discriminate against them. Not always in law, but in society. And of course he would kiss his man hairdresser and of course he would say how much he loves gays. And of course he would support all kinds of love and embrace Conchita, when she passed the winning prize to him. He has a… Read more »
shame : this man is homophobic, may be i will be killed when he will speak with Conshita
DON T VOTE SWEDEN
If i read these messages i can only see gay people are still not treated equal as hetrosexuals, but called a deviation and some find that okay. Shame! All the rest is of no interest to me.
NO HOMOPHOBIA IN THE ESC!!!NO TO MANS!!!
I’m fron Guatemala, and I had the chance to watch Melfest this year. I did not know about what happened in 2014. But what I witnessed was simply encouraging. When Austria announced their votes, Conchita announced 12 points to song #6 (Heores). When the camera flipped to show Mans, you can clearly see when he shouts “I love you Conchita!”. No homophobe would do it, not even Aram MP3 was able to pull that off.
Cee.You are a verry verry sick person. You have so mutch hate in you. You must go to a doctor and get help. MÅNS IS OT A HOMOFOBIC
LOL, this article actually convinced me he IS a homophobe! Those apologies afterworths are laughable! 0 POINTS FROM BELGIUM.
Mans’ apology was a non-apology. I’d rather he not fake apologize. Mans: “I want to apologize to all who take offense. I believe & hope that the vast majority know that I respect differences & all forms of love”. Plain to me. Like me saying welllllll, I do have black friends but sorry I called you all the N word
@Dandy_Eurovision: Have you ever thought of the idea of REDEMPTION, of the ability to THINK DIFFERENTLY and ERASE ONE’S OWN HOMOPHOBIA? Maybe if you stopped CAPITALIZING your words and started thinking for a bit you would see how ridiculous you sound. If you really accept the apology and the strides to become better, then you allow somebody a chance to be different and no longer carry the label “homophobe.” Otherwise you’re just being FACETIOUS.
He won’t be getting my votes.
As far as I know, the last thing a homophobe would do is to do a “Miley Cyrus” live, in front of a more or less 100% gay audience, and then kiss someone of the same sex. Mans is one of the most open-minded straight guys I know of. In fact, I would even go far enough to label him bi-curious. Mans doing a Miley Cyrus at the QX GAY gala: http://www.frihetssmedjan.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/qx-gaygala-2014-mans-zelmerlow-wrecking-ball.jpg Mans kissing his hairdresser: https://instagram.com/p/0TbIdrTCxs/ I’m bi myself, and while I found his words unnecessary, I have since long forgiven him. You need to consider all the facts… Read more »
So sorry read all this here! Goodbye to Wiwibloggs, goodbye to Eurovision, goodbye all readers here..
Cee, I think the homophobia was there to begin with and it’s only this controversy that brings it out into the open. It’s a double-edged sword: it gives us a time for education and new understanding, but at the same time you have to endure the sad truth of the current understanding.
Of course, the Swedes want to defend their side , even if it may have to Swedish gays pass over their pride, then of course will say Mans is not homophobic even if he is … only must the ESC 2016 will be in Sweden, right? Disgusting behavior.
Not only he is a homophobic, he’s also hypocrite and perverse liar. Of course he “loves gay”. He wants their votes in May!!! He would eat his own shit and deal with the devil if necessary to get some votes
MANS is a HOMOPHOBE!!! Apologies are accepted but HOMOPHOBIC statements MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN! If his words were not homophobic statement, calling homosexuals “abnormal”, then why did he apologize?!
About his song: I agree it is QUITE similar to Guetta’s song, therefore, a PLAGIARIZED song!
I’m gay and Måns is getting my vote. It’s got everything to do with music, I just love the song and love his passion and voice. And I think that people have been burying too deep into what he has said – on one occasion. He said that homosexuality is a deviation (it would take an enormous inner struggle for me to translate “avvikelse” as “not normal”) and that he sees that there is nothing wrong with it. To me this doesn’t sound at all homophobic, at least when compared to what I myself have heard and been through. People… Read more »
If he was really a homophobe then:- a) He really would not wear those trousers he wore for Melodifestovalen. b) He would not want to enter Eurovision as much as he does. c) He would not have looked for bloody estatic on stage singing. d) I refer back to point a. I’m glad this article actually gives some context as so far iv just read fans criticise but actuality not give any context. Come join the party don’t slam the door and ask for the music to be turned down ESC community! Sorry is good, mistakes are made! Loads of… Read more »
You people who never said anything stupid when you have been drunk, congratulations! He was drunk at a dinner partie and the only difference from us more mortals, who will get away with a headache and anxiety the day after, he gets shit for this a year afterwards. All the good things he has done and is doing now disappers for a stupid statement from a drunk, young guy. No man is so flawless that one never says anything wrong in a discussion when you’re drunk and then get anxiety the following day. Be pleased that you dont have a… Read more »
A single plump (mistranslated) drunk statement does not nullify a lifetime of good works imo. You’d have to be seriously off your rocker to label Mans, of all people, a homophobe. Especially considering the penance he went through after the fact.
I’d choose not to be offended instead if I were affected by this issue. Is he going to hurt me afterwards if he said all of that? I thought it’s optional to be offended by things nowadays? Some people here reminded me of those annoying people from Tumblr who just. don’t. get. it.
I cannot understand how anyone could NOT take his comment as offensive. When he says it is not natural for men to have sex with men, then it is like saying gay men are UNNATURAL = contrary to nature. Apart from the fact that this is not even true as there are many animals who are homosexual too, it is also offensive in my opinion. For me it is like saying gay people are not normal and it’s statements like these that lead to more LGBT teenagers committing suicide than straight teenagers. I mean, just look at all the homophobic… Read more »
I don’t know why you guys wrote that article about him and what he said last year when he wasn’t competing in eurovison to begin with. Anyway it’s nice of you to clear this misunderstanding up. Måns is very much loved by us swedes, we say that he is “folkkär” which means “loved by the people” (including gay people). What he said last year was not even homophobic no gays over here didn’t care about it. I believe people here has forgotten what being a homophobe is. A homphobe is someone who hates people who are gay. Måns never said… Read more »
Thank you for this article! I’m shocked to see how people can hate Mans just because he said bad words that he didn’t think! And even if he thought them, we don’t care! It’s a musical contest! Come on european countries, what are you doing?! With all my support for Sweden! You’ll have my vote, once again 😉 from Belgium.
@Damn: and yes, Sweden is one of the more openned country I know! 🙂
In contrast to this article I came across this regarding Guy Sebastian which was nice:
http://thefix.ninemsn.com.au/2014/12/05/15/03/guy-sebastian-defends-his-move-away-from-organised-christianity-after-online-backlash
i’m very sorry to say after read this at Wiwibloggs and all the comments below from you guys I’m really thinking o leve my biggest interest Eurovision Song Contest behind me. I love music, I love peoplee whether they are gay, straight, black, white and I think all people have their right to be what they are, think what they want! If you are a gay you have the right to be if your’e a homofob you have the right to be! Of all worlds people liveing on earth the most is straight as most of the billions of Eurovision… Read more »
He says something bad, apologizes (because he realizes that he will lose money when no one buys his music) and everybody forgives him, but when other people say stupid things (Aram MP3, Donatan,…), apologize, people still angry…
Why everybody forgives handsome people faster than not so handsome people?
To Fire: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Im swedish and I can tell you we are VERY GAY FRIENDLY and people can be open gay here and be treated the same. We are not homophobes. We love gay people. We even have a Gay Gala to celebrate Gays and festivals to celebrate Gay people. Stop try to trash talk Måns just because you know we can WIN with him and you cant with your countrys song.
I feel sorry for the gay people living in Sweden. Sweden is a obviously a homophobic country, how could so many people vote for this homophobic guy?
/s people who want to see the world burn won’t stop lighting every tree on fire.
All of you idiots who thinks that Måns is a homophobe: HE EVEN LEAD THE SWEDISH GAY GALA AND PERFORMED!!!!!! EVERYONE IN SWEDEN KNOWS THAT MÅNS IS NOT A HOMOPHOBE. Seriously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZfqezn5GA
@cee there is a big fat difference between having personal beliefs on something (whilst not having ANYTHING against it at the same time) than it is to actually DO have something against it and believe it’s wrong just because it’s your beliefs on the subject. a different scenario… it’s like accusing an atheist, something i am myself, to have some sort of phobia against religious people and how they live their life just because i personally don’t believe in god and has a different view of how the world was created and why. you know karma’s a bitch, you’ll probably… Read more »
I’m glad you’ve published this, by why on earth wasn’t it done for Aram MP3 last year? It’s unacceptable to favour someone because they are form beloved Sweden. Aram made light of something, which wasn’t meant to be serious at all. Mans did exactly the same thing, yet you’re doing this. It’s awful wiwibloggs, should be one rule for all, yet last year there were seriously quite a few articles about how Aram was a homophobe, and MANY commentators mentioned the whole debacle as Armenia;s postcard played out int he final, including Graham Norton. Maybe if sites like wiwibloggs had… Read more »
Good job wiwibloggs! Your incredible sutipd article may cost Mans the victory. U are slowly becoming a random news website that gets attention only from scandals and lies… At least the article should be deleted because it may hurt the result in Eurovision. But you are not professionals and you won’t do that. Good job guys! You now know how to manipulate people!!
@Noah and his homophobic “TRUTH” buddy
Please don’t watch Eurovision! Watch your annual village pig beauty pageant – the straightest show on Earth
@Alex
I understand what you say, but look, almost every Mans’ fan here is a raging homophobe, it shows what kind of hate and toxic environment he’s bringing to the ESC
@zoe
I saw men having sex with men on camera and then saying homophobic things or killing gay people. That’s really doesn’t show anything. Just what a really confused man he is.
https://instagram.com/p/0TbIdrTCxs/
how about this picture of måns kissing a male hair dresser from melodifestivalen on the lips after he won the final? 🙂
Whatever Man? said is right. Even if you call it a homophobic statement -> it is still the TRUTH. You know that , I know that , gays know that , we allll know that .
So guess what let’s move on.
People just want to put him down just like they tried to do with Aram mp3 last year.
Aram mp3 was 4th , so Mans you still have the chance to be in top 5 xD
Good luck
Peace
@Cee: Regarding your first comment “I hope the gay media will dig more dirt on him” – you are looking for a witch to burn. Your comments could be educating for everyone, but instead you’re looking to judge, to punish and to stir up flames. You’re looking to castigate someone and frame his entire existence as unacceptable for a single thing he said and which moreover he *apologized* for – he has done all that such a person can and should do in this instance. You are right to point out the homophobia all over this comments section. But regarding… Read more »
Because of discussions like these below and articles like this above, I seriously consider stop watching ESC.
I do know that ESC really IS the “biggest Euro gay party”, but you all gay drama queens don’t need to put up in our faces EVERY FUC*IN’ TIME!
I’m straight and I have really hard time explaining why I even watch ESC when there are stupidities like this.
Most of the millions of people watching Eurovision is straight. I see Eurovision as a song contest don’t care what people are. All have the rights to think what they want right?
@ nathaliebazinga
even if it’s alright, it’s not alright to host gay galas and then spit in the hand that feeds you!
As a member of the LGBTQ community, I feel like this has a weird line: Mans is right in a statistical sense, yes. Now, had he said something much more homophobic/biphobic/transphobic, I feel that the overwhelming response is to say directly “that’s wrong”. That obviously is part of the right response, but another part should be to see where this homophobia comes from. It’s engrained in culture, how we interact with each other, etc. We need to address these biases in case-specific but also personal ways. If we don’t do that, then there will always be another bigot.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge LGBT supporter but if you can’t respect others’ opinion, don’t expect from him to respect yours. If he thinks it is abnormal that is alright, that is his freedom of speech and if you’re offended by somebody’s words than you have a problem. I don’t know what you want from people? They can’t like you if they don’t like you and accusing them of intolerance won’t make them like you more. In the end, how can you ask for tolerance when you first are intolerant of his intolerance. That makes you the same.… Read more »
@Charles
Mans, log off!
This whole debate just mirrors perfectly why Eurovision has become everything else but a credible music contest … we have just paid too much attention to everything else but educating our ears with great music. And as it happens in today’s society we all find it easier to fall into negative discussions and backlashes and downhills debates on the same topic, the same topic that ironically has allowed Eurovision to survive and keep on the forefront of European television and that is also the answer to the so common question “why are there so many men waving flags in the… Read more »
Mathias (From Sweden)
What makes you think Cee is male ? In any case, I mostly agree with him / her.
“and called homosexuality an “avvikelse”, which can best be translated as an abnormality.”
Nope, avvikelse can best be translated as deviation
I support wiwibloggs, but let’s face it, he’s going the way of Aram mp3. Enough potential voters are going to think there’s no smoke without fire.