Petitions calling for Austria’s drag act, Conchita Wurst to be removed from the Eurovision competition have already received thousands of signatures.

Bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst is set to represent Austria in the semi-final on May 8 with the song Rise Like A Phoenix, but now petitions have been launched in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine calling for the contestant to be pulled from the competition or edited out of the broadcasts in their countries.

The Russian petition reads, “Austria will be represented in the Eurovision 2014 by the transvestite contestant Conchita Wurst who leads the lifestyle inapplicable for the Russians.

“The popular international competition that our children will be watching has become a hotbed of sodomy at the initiation of the European liberals.

“Russia is one of the only European countries that has managed to maintain normal and healthy family values based on love and mutual support between MEN and WOMEN.

“That is why we are against the Eurovision 2014 to be broadcast in Russia.”

If Wurst, real name Tom Neuwirth, is successful on May 8 then he will advance to the final in Copenhagen on May 10.

Read an exclusive interview with Conchita Wurst in this month’s GCN.

Watch Rise Like A Phoenix below.