“All my life, I've refused to be a victim: I won't keep quiet.” Barbara Butch has been the subject of cyber harassment following the controversial opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics.
ADVERTISEMENTFrench DJ, LGBTQ+ icon and feminist activist Barbara Butch has announced that she has filed a complaint, as she has been the subject of “a campaign of cyber harassment and defamation” of “unprecedented” violence, following her appearance at the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony.
“If at first I decided not to speak out to let the haters calm down, the messages I'm receiving are more and more extreme,” she wrote on her Instagram account. “All this for having had the chance to represent the diversity of my country through art and music, alongside other artists and performers I admire.”
Audrey Msellati, Butch’s lawyer, said that her client was facing threats of “death, torture and rape”, as well as “numerous anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and fatphobic insults”.
Butch “is filing a complaint today for these acts, whether committed by nationals or foreigners, and intends to prosecute anyone who, in the future, seeks to intimidate her”, added Msellati.
Butch, who promotes “love and inclusivity”, insists that she is “not afraid of those who hide behind a screen, or a pseudonym, to spew their hatred and frustrations.”
French association SOS homophobie issued the following statement in the wake of Butch’s complaint: “SOS homophobie gives total support to Barbara Butch in the face of waves of cyber harassment she has suffered since the opening ceremony: threats of death, torture, rape, antisemitic, homophobic, sexist and fatphobic insults. Hatred will not pass.”
Butch performed at the opening ceremony on Friday 26 July, alongside dancers and drag artists like Nicky Doll and Paloma, in a tableau entitled “Festivité”.
According to its detractors, this sequence is a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”, and it has caused quite the ruckus.
The French Bishops' Conference (CEF) deplored “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity” - a sentiment echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Elsewhere, the Anglican Communion in Egypt expressed its “deep regret”, saying the ceremony could cause the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to “lose its distinctive sporting identity and its humanitarian message.”
Then there’s Andrew Tate, the controversial media personality awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women... He and his brother Tristan Tate were also among the critics of this segment of the opening ceremony, and stood in front of a church near the French Embassy in Bucharest to protest.
Elon Musk also voiced his opinion, writing on X: "Unless there is more bravery to stand up for what is fair and right, Christianity will perish," while Donald Trump also couldn’t resist chipping in, describing the opening ceremony, and in particular the drag-queen sequence, as a “disgrace”.
“I'm very open-minded, but I thought what they did was a disgrace,” said the former US president in an interview with Fox News.
The ceremony's artistic director, Thomas Jolly, assured that the sequence was “a great pagan festival linked to the gods of Olympus.”
"We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everybody. In France, we have artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country," said Jolly, regarding the negative reactions to the show.
However, a spokesperson for Paris 2024 issued an apology: “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Anne Descamps told the press. "We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry."
