Because of hate comments

Drag queen uproar: DJ sues over hate comments

The "Last Supper" scene at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games continues to cause a stir.

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A controversial scene at the Paris Olympic opening ceremony involving several drag queens has legal consequences. French DJ Barbara Butch has filed a lawsuit for "homophobic and fatphobic insults" due to hate comments on the internet, her lawyer announced on Tuesday.

"Those who attack Barbara Butch cannot stand the fact that she represents France as a lesbian, Jewish and fat woman," Audrey Msellati told AFP.

Butch had appeared in a scene that was seen by many as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci's mural "The Last Supper". She stood in the middle behind a long table and wore a blue dress - the same color as Jesus in the famous painting. On her head she wore a kind of diadem reminiscent of a halo.

Much criticism
The scene was criticized in France, but also internationally by conservative politicians and personalities. The French Bishops' Conference spoke of scenes that "make fun of Christianity". The far-right politician Marion Maréchal called the performance a "drag queen parody of the Last Supper", which had been staged by a left-wing minority. Tesla boss Elon Musk and former US President Donald Trump also reacted with outrage.

The director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, later explained that it had been a depiction of a banquet with figures from Greek mythology. He had not wanted to offend any religious feelings. The scene depicted a celebration on Olympus, the mountain of the gods, in the spirit of ancient Greece. The mountain gave its name to the Olympic Games.

Barbara Butch published a photo of herself on Instagram, which triggered numerous positive comments, but also a lot of hate comments.

In another photo, she presented her headdress as the "halo of an Olympic music goddess".