The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics was a glamorous affair, featuring performances by A-listers such as Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, and Aya Nakamura. However, a segment featuring drag queens has sparked significant criticism across social media platforms.
Drag queens take center stage
The ceremony included a fashion and runway segment with renowned drag queens, including Nicky Doll from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12, Paloma, winner of Drag Race France Season 1, and Piche from Drag Race France Season 3. This segment aimed to highlight queer and drag representation on a global stage.
Controversial “Last Supper” depiction
The performance drew backlash for a scene where 18 drag performers gathered at a table, resembling Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper.” Set against the backdrop of the Seine River, the drag queens posed similarly to Jesus and his Twelve Apostles. The depiction, particularly of a woman in the center wearing a blue dress and a large silver headdress resembling a halo, angered many viewers.
Another scene criticized
Another segment of the performance also faced criticism. A man, painted blue from head to toe and adorned with flowers and fruit, portrayed the dish served at the meal. Following the backlash, Olympic officials explained that the performance was an “interpretation of the Greek God of wine and festivity, Dionysus,” intended to highlight “the absurdity of violence between human beings,” according to the New York Post.
Outrage among public figures and netizens
The drag performance quickly went viral, with many prominent figures and social media users condemning it as an insult to Christians worldwide. “This is outrageous. Kicking off your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples with men in drag is unacceptable,” US podcast host Clint Russel wrote. Another critic tweeted,
“What a hideous, aesthetically appalling, morally repugnant, and overall disastrous @Olympics opening ceremony. Companies with strong affiliations to @france as a brand should be concerned. #FranceHasFallen.” SpaceX CEO and Tesla head Elon Musk also criticized the performance, calling it “extremely disrespectful to Christians.”
The backlash against the drag queen’s performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony underscores the sensitivity and potential for controversy in artistic representations, especially those involving religious imagery. As the debate continues, it highlights the challenges faced by organizers in balancing creative expression with public sentiment.