Paris Mayor drops f bombs on anti-LGBTQ+ Critics of Olympic Opening Ceremonies
Photo: Shutterstock. Anne Hidalgo is the Mayor of Paris, France during the first visit of the Association of Mayors of Île-de-France-2024 to the Porte de Versailles, Paris. Photo: Shutterstock
Anne Hidalgo — the mayor of Paris, France, the host city of the 2024 Olympic Summer Games — dropped several f-bombs on far-right conservatives who ignorantly blasted the Olympic’s opening ceremonies for allegedly “mocking Christianity.”
Conservative critics claimed that a segment of the ceremonies representing a Dionysian feast — with a lesbian DJ and drag performers — was a mockery of “The Last Supper,” a regularly re-imagined religious scene painted by gay Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci.
Related:
Religious and anti-LGBTQ+ leaders worldwide blasted the segment, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and former United States President Donald Trump.
Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox
Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world.
But while the ceremony organizers have denied any intention to recreate “The Last Supper” or offend others, Hidalgo was much more blunt, saying in a recent interview, “F**k the reactionaries, f**k this far-right, f**k all of those who would like to lock us into a war of all against all.”
Hidalgo also said she was proud of the way that the opening ceremony presented Paris to the world, according to Politico.
She acknowledged, “There’s both admiration for this incredible city, which not many people understand, and at the same time orchestration of a hatred of Paris.”
“Paris is the city of all freedoms, the city of refuge for LGBTQI+ people, the city where people live together,” she added. The opening ceremony and the Games have crushed the far-right’s message. Something incredibly positive is happening.”
During the segment, lesbian DJ Barbara Butch wore a silver headdress that looked like a halo, and was surrounded by drag performers, dancers, and other performers as she DJed. The performers walked the runway, showcasing French style and fashion. Near the segment’s climax, a man with blue skin, an orange beard, and a body and crown covered in leaves and flowers appeared on a silver platter to join the performers.
Olympic officials have repeatedly stated that the performance was not a recreation of The Last Supper but was actually a tableau of a Dionysian feast. Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the opening ceremonies said: “My desire is not to be subversive or mock, but to inspire.” Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”
Jolly said he hoped for the performance to be a tribute to diversity, and that the runway-table during the segment was intended a “tribute to feasting and French gastronomy.”
Don’t forget to share:
