Olympic Games Opening Draws Criticism With ‘Last Supper’ Scene

PARIS (AP) — In an unprecedented display of inclusivity, drag queens took center stage at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, showcasing the vibrant and influential role of France’s LGBTQ+ community — but drawing criticism for a tableau reminiscent of “The Last Supper.”

The spectacular four-hour event, held along the Seine, featured global stars such as Celine Dion and Lady Gaga, both considered queer icons. The ceremony mixed historical and modern French culture with a dash of kitsch, culminating in a flotilla of ships carrying thousands of Olympians.

Nicky Doll, known for competing on the 12th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and hosting “Drag Race France,” took part in an exciting fashion runway segment alongside “Drag Race France” season 1 winner Paloma, season 3’s Piche and Giselle Palmer. At first, they stood along the runway and stared at the strutting models. Later, they joined in and showed off their own styles.

Le Filip, the recent winner of “Drag Race France,” expressed their positive “surprise” and “pride” at the size and representativeness of the ceremony.

“I thought it was going to be a five-minute drag event with queer representation. I was surprised. It started with Lady Gaga, then we had drag queens, a huge rave, and fire in the sky,” they said. “It felt like a crowning achievement. I’m proud to see my friends and queer people on the world stage.”

Among their daring performances was a scene reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” with the drag queens and other performers in a configuration reminiscent of Jesus Christ and his apostles. The segment drew a lot of attention — and mixed reactions.

“The (French) government knows what it is doing. They want to show themselves in the best possible way. They showed no restraint in their expression,” Le Filip told The Associated Press.

Prominent far-right politician Marion Maréchal, on the other hand, condemned the action on social media.

“To all Christians around the world who are attending the ceremony in Paris 2024 and who were offended by this transvestite parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France that is speaking, but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation,” she posted on the social platform X, a sentiment shared internationally by religious conservatives.

“…because beheading Habsburgs and ridiculing central Christian events are really the FIRST two things that come to mind when you think about #Olympics,” Eduard Habsburg, the Hungarian ambassador to the Vatican, posted on X, also referencing a scene depicting the beheading of Marie Antoinette.

Thomas Jolly, the opening ceremony’s artistic director, later drew attention away from the references to “The Last Supper,” saying that had not been his intention. He saw the moment as a celebration of diversity and the table where Butch played her music as a tribute to partying and French gastronomy.

“My wish is not to be subversive, nor to mock or shock,” Jolly said. “I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”

The Official X Account for the Olympic Games described the scene as a reference to the Greek god Dionysus.

Le Filip responded to criticism of the scene with a touch of humor and sadness.

“It feels like the words of someone who’s not on the guest list. We could all laugh together. It’s sad for me, honestly,” they said.

James Leperlier, president of Inter-LGBT, was more reserved, saying that France still has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity.

“We know that in the LGBTQ community in France we are far from what the ceremony showed. There is still a lot of progress to be made in society regarding transgender people. It is terrible that they are forced to go to trial to legally change their identity,” said Leperlier.

He also highlighted the disparity in acceptance, saying the community is not visible at other official ceremonies and “has a hard time being heard.”

“If you saw the opening ceremony last night you would think that it was normal, but it is not. France tried to show what it should be and not what it is,” he said.

The opening ceremony came as France’s drag and voguing nightclub scene was experiencing a renaissance. Founded in 1946 in the ashes of World War II, the cabaret club Madame Arthur is one of the world’s oldest continuously running LGBTQ+ venues. It opened as Europe was just beginning to grasp the scale of the widespread murder of members of its queer community during World War II, and is currently experiencing a huge renaissance.

Drag isn’t just a pastime; for many French minority communities, alienated by tensions stemming from divisive politics and the scars of the gay marriage protests of a decade ago, it’s an act of resistance. For many gay black and Arab youth—particularly those from the less affluent and religiously conservative suburbs of Paris—and others who feel disconnected from French society, voguing and drag events offer safe spaces where they can express their identities without fear of reprisal.

Despite the negative reactions, Le Filip believes the opening ceremony will ultimately transcend the controversy.

“The message of the show is freedom, and it is a good postcard for France,” they concluded.