Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo visits the Palace of Porte de Versailles in Paris on the first visit of the Association of Mayors of the Île-de-France 2024. Photo: Shutterstock
Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, France, the host city of the 2024 Summer Olympics, repeatedly hurled the F-word at far-right conservatives who ignorantly accused the Olympics opening ceremony of “making a mockery of Christianity.”
Conservative critics argued that parts of the ceremony, which featured a lesbian DJ and cross-dressing performers depicting a Dionysian feast, mocked “The Last Supper,” a religious painting by the gay Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci that has been reinterpreted many times.
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Religious leaders and anti-LGBTQ+ leaders around the world, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and former US President Donald Trump, slammed the show.
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But while the ceremony’s organizers have denied that it was a re-enactment of the Last Supper or any intention to offend anyone, Hidalgo was more blunt in a recent interview, saying, “Fuck the reactionaries, fuck the far-right, fuck all those who try to drag us into a war of everyone against everyone.”
Hidalgo also said she was proud to have introduced Paris to the world at the opening ceremony. according to POLITICO.
She acknowledged that “there is admiration for this great city, and at the same time hatred for Paris is being stirred up, although not many people understand that.”
“Paris is a city of all freedoms, a city of refuge for LGBTQI+ people, a city where people live together,” she added. “The far-right message has been shattered by these Olympics and the opening ceremony. Incredibly positive things are happening.”
In this segment, lesbian DJ Barbara Bucci wore a silver halo-like headdress and was surrounded by drag performers, dancers, and other performers while she DJed. The performers then walked down a runway, showcasing French fashion and style. Near the climax of the segment, a man with blue skin, an orange beard, a body covered in leaves and flowers, and a crown appeared on a silver platter and joined the performers.
Olympic officials have repeatedly said the performance was not a reenactment. Last Supper “My desire was not to be subversive, not to ridicule or shock,” said Thomas Joly, artistic director of the opening ceremony. “Above all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion, never a message of division.”
Jolie said she hoped the performance would be a tribute to diversity, and that the runway tables during the segment were meant to be “an ode to feasting and French gastronomy.”
