Drag queens dazzle in display of inclusivity at 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony

Inclusivity took center stage at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony as the lights beamed, flags of Olympic teams were carried over the Seine River and drag queens captivated the world.

The ceremony combining historic and modern French culture included a dynamic fashion runway segment with Nicky Doll, known for competing on the 12th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” along with “Drag Race France” participants Paloma, Piche and Giselle Palmer. 

Le Filip, the recent winner of “Drag Race France,” expressed their positive “surprise” and “pride” at the ceremony’s scale and representation.

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

One segment, appearing to resemble Leonardo da Vinci’s painting the Last Supper, evoked mixed reactions on social media, with many who espouse Christian beliefs voicing criticism. French actor and singer Philippe Katerine appeared as the Greek god Dionysus, painted blue and wearing little more than a bunch of flowers covering his modesty.

Bishop Emmanuel Gobillard, a spokesperson representing the Holy See for the 2024 Paris Olympics, told NBC News that the depiction of the Last Supper left him “deeply hurt.” Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker, a devout Catholic, posted a screenshot on Instagram stories, with the caption, “This is crazy.”

He then wrote a Bible verse – Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived, God is not mocked.”

Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, afterward drew attention away from “The Last Supper” references, saying that hadn’t been his intention.

Inter-LGBT President James Leperlier was more circumspect, arguing that France still has significant strides to make in inclusivity.

The opening ceremony came as drag and the voguing nightclub scene in France has experienced a revival. For many minority French communities who feel alienated over tensions arising from divisive politics and scars from the anti-gay marriage protests a decade ago, drag is a statement of defiance.

Many gay Black and Arab youths — especially those from Paris’ less affluent and religiously conservative suburbs — and others who feel a sense of disconnect with French society find voguing and drag events safe places where their identities can be expressed without fear of reprisal.