Watch the queerest moments from the Olympics opening ceremony
The Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony has stirred up a lot of controversy for featuring drag queens and queer moments.
The man with the task of delivering the lavish display, Thomas Jolly, told British Vogue ahead of Friday’s (26 July) extravaganza that he wanted everyone to feel represented.
The actor, comedian and theatre director, who has explored LGBTQ+ themes in his stage work, also wanted to ensure his celebrations showed that there “is room for everyone in Paris”. The opening ceremony would be a success only if “everyone feels represented in it”, he added.
In managing to ensure everyone was represented, his ceremony created a huge backlash from right-wing figures including Elon Musk, Donald Trump and Andrew Tate, as well as NFL star Harrison Butker.
The queerest moments included a performance by Lady Gaga, drag queens performing songs, and diver Tom Daley flying the Union flag at the front of the Team GB boat in the style of Rose in the famous “I’m flying” scene from Titanic.
Further queer moments included a segment titled “festivity” which featured French singer and actor Philippe Katerine as the god Dionysus, performing topless and painted blue. A statue of 20th-century bisexual philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir was also shown, and Celine Dion gave a stellar performance.
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