Paris Olympic Organizers Say Drag Queen ‘Last Supper’ Moment Was Not Meant to Disrespect Any Religious Group

A controversial drag queen segment of the 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony left organizers apologizing to viewers but also defending the meaning behind it.

In case you missed it, Friday's opening ceremony included what the Olympics described on their official X account as an “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus” that “makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

Joined by DJ Barbara Butch, the moment highlighted young French designers while models and drag artists alike strutted their stuff.

Unfortunately, religious conservatives flocked to social media to express their outrage, calling the segment blasphemous, offensive, and a “mockery of Christianity” for the scene’s alleged recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper.”

As explained by the Associated Press, da Vinci’s famous painting depicts the moment where Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him.

Religious groups—including the French Catholic Church, the Russian Foreign Ministry, and the Anglican Communion in Egypt also decried the moment.

Others on social media pointed out the hypocrisy behind the backlash, noting that religious extremists did not express outrage at other recreations of “The Last Supper” until drag queens were involved. Another individual on X pointed out that the painting itself is not a religious symbol, but rather an artist’s rendition of a biblical story.

Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps clarified that the moment was meant to be a statement about “tolerance.”

“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think [with the ceremony’s artistic director] Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance,” said Descamps, per the AP.

“Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry,” she added.

“My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock,” Jolly told the Associated Press after the ceremony. “Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”

According to National Geographic, the ancient Olympics, held from 776 B.C. to A.D. 394 in ancient Greece, were rooted in paganism, honoring Zeus with rituals and sacrifices. Beyond the athletic events, the games featured chaos and debauchery thanks to nonexistent sanitation, prostitution, corruption, doping, animal sacrifices, fire-eaters, palm readers, and other factors that would have today’s religious enthusiasts clutching their pearls.