The Paris Olympics opening ceremony has sparked controversy with a drag performance that involved children and reimagined The Last Supper, leading to widespread condemnation as “hyper-sexualised” and “blasphemous” by online critics. This artistic expression, part of a broader lineup featuring high-profile artists like Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura, has deeply divided public opinion.
This is crazy. Opening your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples at the The Last Supper with men in drag. There are 2.4 billion Christians on earth and apparently the Olympics wanted to declare loudly to all of them, right out of the gate
NOT WELCOME pic.twitter.com/T88AmXbqXL— Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) July 26, 2024
The ceremony, marking the start of the 33rd Olympic Games, included a colorful parade with athletes from 206 countries, including a refugee team, navigating down the Seine River despite the rain. However, the festivities quickly became controversial due to some performances.
Online critics did not hold back, particularly condemning the involvement of children in what many saw as a blasphemous portrayal of the Last Supper by drag queens. This act has provoked a strong backlash, with numerous individuals calling it an “insult towards Christians.”
Even as a Jew, I am infuriated by this outrageous insult to Jesus and Christianity… How do you feel about it as Christians? pic.twitter.com/JeGJMiKkus
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) July 26, 2024
Videos of the performances quickly went viral, with social media users denouncing it as an “insult” to Catholics. However, organizers stated that the performance aimed to humorously raise awareness about the absurdity of violence between human beings, as reported by The New York Post.
Clint Russell, host of the Liberty Lockdown podcast, tweeted, “This is outrageous. Kicking off your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples with men in drag is unacceptable.” Dr. Eli David, an entrepreneur and researcher, commented, “Even as a Jew, I am infuriated by this outrageous insult to Jesus and Christianity. How do you feel about it as Christians?”
Award-winning broadcaster Niall Boylan criticized the depiction of the ‘Last Supper’ as blatant disrespect and incitement. “Jesus is portrayed as a woman and the disciples as transvestites. I wonder why they didn’t mock Islam in a similar way,” he said.
This was not the only controversial moment during the opening ceremony. Another act depicted three people engaging in inappropriate behavior at France’s national library. Presenter Beth Fisher remarked, “Only the French could squeeze a threesome into an opening ceremony.”
The event also featured a “headless” Marie Antoinette, the last queen consort of France before the French Revolution, who was famously sentenced to death and beheaded by a guillotine.