Lesbian DJ carries Paralympic torch despite Olympic opening ceremony death threats

Barbara Butch—the lesbian DJ who received death threats after performing in an Olympic opening ceremony segment that some accused of mocking Christianity—has defied her haters by publicly carrying the Paralympic torch on Sunday night, leading up to the event’s August 28 opening ceremonies.

“I chose not to be afraid of existing in public space,” Butch said, according to FranceInfo. She was one of about 1,000 torchbearers who will carry the Paralympic flame in 50 cities across France to raise awareness of people living with disabilities and promote their inclusion in sports.

Related:

Paris mayor drops f-bombs on anti-LGBTQ+ critics of Olympic opening ceremonies

French Mayor Anne Hidalgo had some choice words for Trump and other far-right critics of the queer-inclusive opening events.

“What luck! What an incredible moment to carry the @paralympics @paris2024 flame,” Butch wrote on an Instagram photo slideshow. “People who have followed my work for a long time know to what extent I fight for the representation of all, that I fight against ableism and for inclusiveness.”

Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox

Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

Butch carried the flame at the Rock En Seine music festival in the Saint Cloud National Park, just west of Paris. She carried the torch alongside Marjane Satrapi, the French-Iranian graphic novelist best known for her graphic memoir Persepolis, and Hélios Latchoumanaya, a French Paralympic judo athlete who won a bronze medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

“Rock en Seine was a moment filled with emotion,” she added, mentioning that she got to meet several performing artists at the event. “This festival was incredible and will remain a unique moment…. Carrying this flame is a moment that will remain forever engraved in my heart. Representation matters. Making the invisible visible again and forever Thank you to all the people who follow me and accompany me on this path of love.”

Butch received death, torture, and rape threats as well as numerous antisemitic, homophobic, sexist, and fatphobic insults for her involvement in a segment of the Olympic opening ceremony, which featured a Feast of Dionysus with drag performers and runway models. Many conservative Christian viewers angrily mistook the scene to be a mockery of The Last Supper, a famous artwork painted by gay artist Leonardo DaVinci that has been replicated countless times in modern pop culture.

In the segment, Butch wore a silver headdress that looked like a halo and was surrounded by drag performers, dancers, and other performers as she DJed. The performers then walked on the runway, showcasing French fashions and style.

After the Olympics ended, Butch pledged to fearlessly fight the threats. Her lawyer filed legal complaints to start a formal police investigation into those behind them.

Olympic officials have repeatedly stated that the performance was not a recreation of The Last Supper but was actually a tableau of a Dionysian feast. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director for the opening ceremonies, said, “My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock. Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”

Jolly said he hoped for the performance to be a tribute to diversity, and that the runway-table during the segment was intended a “tribute to feasting and French gastronomy.”

“I’ve never been ashamed of who I am, and I take responsibility for everything, including my artistic choices,” she continued. “All my life, I’ve refused to be a victim. I won’t shut up. I’m not afraid of those who hide behind a screen or sit in and dispute, their hatreds and frustrations. I will fight them without ever trembling. I’m committed, and I am proud. I’m proud of who I am, of what I am, and, of what I embody for both my loved ones, and for millions of French people. My France is France.”

Other torchbearers include former Paralympians, young para-athletes, volunteers from Paralympic federations, innovators of advanced technological support, people who dedicate their lives to others with impairments, and people who work in the non-profit sector to support carers.

The Paralympic flame, which has been divided between 12 torches, will be carried by various Paralympians, young athletes with disabilities, as well as Paralympic federation volunteers and individuals who have dedicated their lives to supporting people with disabilities and creating technological aids to assist them.

The torches will unite in central Paris on Wednesday evening, where they will ignite a cauldron as part of the Paralympics’ three-hour opening ceremony.

Don't forget to share: