I do love to have pictures taken and to pose and wear fabulous gowns, so red carpets are a comfort zone.

I dream of a world where we don't have to talk about unnecessary things like sexuality, who you love.

As I always say, you don't have to love me, but you have to respect that I'm here.

I see myself as quite boring and simple.

Being LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) in Russia is anything but fun.

I'm a drag artist, and we put so much effort into creating characters, so the easiest way to show us respect is to call us by the name we gave ourselves and refer to the gender we have chosen to be on stage.

I've figured out over the years, you can only hurt me if I love you; if I don't know you, I really don't care.

If you want to be a bearded lady then you are allowed to do that because you're not hurting anybody.

I think that anyone who is in any way creative or is creating something, whether an architect or fashion designer, I think if you have the opportunity to create something that is fully you, it frees your mind and your spirit and gives you the opportunity to really find yourself.

I don't understand why people spend so much time thinking about me if they don't like what I do. I couldn't care less about things I don't like.

Expectations are dangerous. I recommend not having any, if only to avoid disappointment.

I'm jealous, I'm moody, I'm really not good to be around as a boyfriend.

The beard is a statement to say that you can achieve anything, no matter who you are or how you look.

Conchita is a symbol of the fact that you just can live a wonderful life when you do what makes you happy.

I just want everybody to be respected. It shouldn't be politics because for me it's not, one of the most natural things in our society should be to be respectful.

I'm not perfect, I just do what I think is right. So if I can't fulfil people's expectations, I'm sorry, but it's not my fault.

You have to be respectful. Don't ask for respect if you are not respectful. It's not depending on your sexuality, your gender or the colour of your skin. It should be in the focus to live a respectful life.

I'm not that powerful to take out the masculinity of a beard.

The private person Tom Neuwirth and the art figure Conchita Wurst respect each other from the bottom of their hearts. They are two individual characters with their own individual stories, but with one essential message for tolerance and against discrimination.

It was a huge honour to play at the Palladium with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

I started out as being a diva in a golden dress and now to a more bearded drag artist guy in boots.

If you've got the chance to really speak your mind and do what you feel and express yourself how you want, then this is freedom. Drag is freedom.

It's just unbelievable that nearly every gay human being knows who I am now - that's overwhelming.

The main topic I'm always talking about is equality, and I get that it's politics, but it shouldn't be. It should be the most normal thing ever. There's bullying and discrimination about the colour of your skin, your religion. And it must end.

People only look at my beard for a moment. Then it melts away and it's just another part of me. It's like the most natural thing, that this is what a bearded lady looks like. It's beautiful to see.

There's a big difference between when I'm Tom and when I'm Conchita. Conchita uses very proper German; Tom talks in an Austrian dialect. Conchita gets mad if she is kept waiting; Tom is lazy.

I am happy being a man in a dress. Some people get confused and think I'm a trans woman, but I'm strict about the difference. What I do is performance, it's staged, it's glamour - it's not real life. But for trans people, being born in the wrong body - there's nothing glamorous or easy about that.

I was actually a very confident little kid. I would go to kindergarten in a skirt.

The first song I remember listening to in a language other than German was 'Goldfinger,' by Shirley Bassey. I was seven years old at the time and I had no idea which language it was or who the lady was singing it, but it touched me and I realised that it was the sort of music I liked.

I love huge dramatic songs with ridiculously big orchestral parts.

I didn't invent the bearded lady. It's been around for ages, and there are so many bearded drag queens out there - but they're not in the mainstream as I am.

Over the years I've realised that there's nothing wrong with me. But there was a long way for me to go to get back to this loud and outgoing kid, and to get to the point where I could say, 'Yeah, I'm gay, so what?'

I am not a team player. I will not share the stage with anyone.

I have a very busy life, and I love meeting people, but I also like to be alone.

If people really want to know whether I am a woman or transsexual, I take it as a compliment. It means I'm doing my job well.

Being a teenager, a gay teenager, in such a small village is not that much fun. I am part of the gay community and most gays have a similar story to mine.

We Europeans really have the picture of this very open-minded Australia.

I can always spot an Australian queen by her high, high end wig. Australian drag queens have the best hair in the world - the best.

It is an honour and it's flattering that people refer to me as someone they trust or get inspired from.

I don't see myself as someone you should look up to.

I love myself and the bearded lady is fun and expresses everything I feel.

Being a teenager in a small Austrian village was not fabulous. I tried to fit in and changed myself to be part of the game. I now realise I can create the game.

I don't focus on negativity, I focus on the good things.

I love women. I grab every inspiration I can from women and for me it's a bit of fun.

I prefer to do my own make-up.

Dressing as a woman meant I began to accept my body, and I enjoyed seeing women get jealous. They ask me how I get my waist this size; how I manage to walk in heels as if I've done it all my life.

When I'm standing in front of all those lawmakers in the European Parliament, then I'm a speaker, when I'm singing, I'm a singer. If I'm on the catwalk, then I'm being a model. That can all happen in one week or even on the same day.

Because of the discrimination during my time as a teenager I decided to live my life as I want it.

I always say that tolerance doesn't depend on a country, because there is hate everywhere.

But yes, I really feel great in Austria, I love my home and Vienna is just the best place to be.