Conservative politicians and Christian lobbyists are up in arms after drag performers were featured in the Opening Ceremony for the Paris Olympics.
The segment of the opening ceremony featured French drag star Nicky Doll and performers from the French edition of RuPaul’s Drag Race. They performed a fashion parade on one of the most famous Parisian bridges.
When the cameras first cut to the performers they were posed in a formation that looked like Jesus and his disciples as depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper, and it’s led some to be outraged.
In recent years the pose has become a popular promotional image for many television shows. Everyone from the cast of The Simpsons, to Lost, Battlestar Galactica and House have made a version of the image.
OUTinPerth created our version in 2012 featuring local night life identities, and in 2017 an Italian gay bar ruffled some feathers when they created a similar image.
Senator Ralph Babet from the Australia United Party has called on all Australians to boycott watching the Olympic Games over the drag performance.
In a media statement the Senator representing Victoria said the opening ceremony was “demonic and deranged”.
Babet has called on the organisers of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics to make a public commitment to “not repeat the anti-Christian woke fest that the world witnessed in Paris.” Senator Babet also took offence at one of the drag stars having a fuller figure.
The Australian Christian Lobby and the Family First Party, which is led by former ACL chief Lyle Shelton, are also up in arms.
“Heaven cried as Olympics Opening Ceremony mocked the greatest event in history – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper.” said Wendy Francis the Political Director of the lobby group.
“France has betrayed its predominantly Catholic nation. Western culture has lost its foundation and moral compass.”
Lyle Shelton from the Family First said “Paris would be on fire” if a symbol of Islam had been depicted in a similar way.
Describing the presentation as “evil” Shelton said it was an example of the world’s culture being controlled by “globalist elites” who were trying to “destroy our families”.
Also raising concern was US House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said it was par a war on the Christian faith.
“Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
“The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail.” the politician said.
A spokesperson for the Olympics has told media outlets that there was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group.”
Thomas Jolly, creative director of the opening ceremony, said the message they hasd hoped to share was to “celebrate community tolerance.”
They’ve also noted that the scene depicted was based on a Greek celebration, as the home of the Olympic movement.
The Olympics posted an image from the section of the performance which also featured a depiction of the Greek God Dionysus.
Discussion of the segment filled the airwaves of Sky News with presenters and commentators lining up to voice their displeasure about the use of religious imagery.
“Part of this were borderline demonic” said Outsiders host Rita Panahi before going to describe the performances as “pitifully lame and woke”.
“It was just lame, it was tacky. It was ugly in parts.” Panahi said.
Co-host James Morrow said the elements used in the opening ceremony showed that French culture has “run out of gas” and was left “dragging through the past to tear it down.”
On Sunday Agenda commentator Kel Richards said he’d not watched the opening ceremony but expected it to be a family orientated show without “weird stuff”. Richards said the Olympic organisers had deliberately planned to offend 2.8 billion Christians around the globe.
Joe Hilderbrand said the mocking of Christians would set back the push for within Australia for protections to be introduced that would stop LGBTIQA+ students being discriminated against in religious based schools.
“What kind of message does it send when you’ve actually got drag queens dressing up as Jesus and his disciples. That is going to make every Christian in the world think ‘Holy crap! They really are out to get us. They really do want to tear down what we believe in.”
Is it too soon to ask if Ballroom Culture can be considered as an Olympic sport for Brisbane 2034? After all street dancing has been added for Paris 2024.
29-07-2024 Report updated with additional information and comment.
