‘Drag queen’ scene: Paris Olympic organisers ‘sorry’ if caused offence
A scene during the opening ceremony was thought by some people be a ‘disrespectful’ depiction of The Last Supper painting featuring Christ. Others say it was actually based on Greek gods
The International Olympic Committee has said that “our intention was not to show disrespect to any religious group”
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has apologised for any offence caused during the Paris Opening Ceremony, after some felt that a scene including several drag queens was disrespectful to Christians.
The four-hour-long Olympics Opening Ceremony took place on July 26, mainly on a six-kilometre stretch of the Seine River, and in front of the Eiffel Tower.
It included a flotilla of 85 boats filled with 6,800 athletes, an animatronic horse racing over the water, many dancers, a catwalk show, French mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel singing from the roof of the Grand-Palais, the lighting of the flame ‘cauldron’, and a spectacular performance by French-Canadian singer Céline Dion from the Eiffel Tower.
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Disrespectful and ‘blasphemous’
However, it also included a scene with a colourful group of people seated at a table, including several drag queens, and featuring French comedic actor and singer Phillippe Katerine, which some felt disrespectfully depicted the painting The Last Supper. The iconic painting, by Leonardo da Vinci, shows Christ surrounded by his disciples.
The Opening Ceremony scene saw Mr Katerine posing on the table - almost naked - as Dionysus - the Greek god of wine, festivity and theatre - surrounded by the other flamboyantly-dressed participants, aligned in a way that some say was designed to recall the famous painting.
However, others believed the scene recalls another religious painting, The Feast of the Gods, by Jan Harmensz van Bijlert.
The show was strongly criticised online and news outlets worldwide have noted the outrage felt in some circles. Critics said the depiction was “blasphemous” and “pitiable”.
The national group of French bishops, la Conférence des évêques de France (CEF), also criticised the events, calling them “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity”.
Other critics have included the Middle East Council of Churches; Marion Marechal, far-right French member of the European Parliament; the Catholic Church of France; and leader of La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Mr Mélenchon questioned what the “point” was in “risking offending believers”.
“We were speaking to the world that evening,” he said. “Among the billion Christians in the world, how many good and honest people are there for whom faith provides help in living and knowing how to participate in everyone's life, without bothering anyone?”
‘We apologise’
Anne Descamps, communications director for Paris 2024, released a statement addressing the controversy, saying: “Clearly, our intention was not to show disrespect to any religious group whatsoever. On the contrary, our intention was to show tolerance and communion. If people were offended, we apologise.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated: ‘The IOC has taken note of and welcomes the clarification made by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee regarding the opening ceremony.’
Thomas Jolly, director of the ceremony, then went further, telling BFMTV that the Last Supper was "not my inspiration".
"I think it was quite clear - you've got Dio nysus arriving on the table - why is he there? = because he's the god of festivities, of wine, and also father of Sequana, a goddess linked to the river Seine.
"The idea was more to create a big pagan festival linked to the gods of Olympus - which links in with the Olympics [originally held in ancient Greece]" he said.
He said he did not want to “mock or denigrate anything”. He said: “I wanted to create a ceremony that would repair and reconcile.”
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‘A country of freedom’
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin (who is in charge of religious affairs) has also defended the Opening Ceremony, particularly in response to the CEF. He said that France was “a country of freedom, sexual freedom, religious freedom, freedom to mock, to caricature”.
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“You can like or dislike certain paintings, as I do,” he said. “But I do not think we should go further than that…France’s message is [a message of freedom].”
