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PARIS (AP) — The storm of anger over the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, including angry comments from Donald Trump, took a legal turn on Tuesday, with French prosecutors ordering police to investigate complaints of online abuse against a DJ and LGBTQ+ icon who performed there.
DJ Barbara Bucci says she has been subjected to a barrage of online threats following an altercation at the Olympic opening ceremony. Bucci’s lawyer told The Associated Press that she has formally filed a legal complaint alleging online harassment, death threats and insults. Attorney Audrey M’selati said the lawsuit does not name specific perpetrators of the alleged crimes.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed it had received a complaint from Bouchi and said it had assigned a police unit specialising in combating hate crimes to investigate. The police investigation will focus on “discriminatory messages based on religion or sexual orientation sent to her or posted online”.
Although the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, has repeatedly said he was not inspired by “The Last Supper,” critics have argued that Butch’s performance was partly a mockery of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of Jesus Christ and his followers. Butch, who calls herself a “love activist,” rocked the party by wearing a silver headpiece that looked like a halo during her performance. Drag artists, dancers and others flanked Butch.
Trump said in the United States on Monday that he found it “a disgrace”.
“I’m very open-minded,” the former president and current Republican nominee told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who asked specifically about the comparisons to “The Last Supper,” “but I think what they did is a disgrace.”
French Catholic bishops and others also said Christians were hurt and offended. Paris Olympics organizers said it was “never their intention to show disrespect to any religious group” but rather to “celebrate the community’s tolerance.”
Jolly said he sees the moment as a celebration of diversity, and Butch playing music at the table as a nod to feasting and French cuisine.
“My desire was not to subvert, nor to ridicule or shock,” Jolly said. “Above all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion, not division.”
Performer Philippe Katerine, who was painted blue and nearly naked in the next scene in homage to Dionysus, also told Le Monde that no reference to The Last Supper was made in the preparation of the skit.
In a statement on Instagram, Butch said: “No matter what anyone says, I exist. I have never been ashamed of myself and I take responsibility for everything – including my artistic choices. My whole life I have refused to be a victim: I will not shut up.”
She said she felt “very honored” to be able to attend Friday’s ceremony and that “my heart is still filled with joy.”
“I’m committed with all my heart and I’m proud. I’m proud of myself, of who I am and of everything I stand for, not only for the people I love but for millions of French people. My France is France!” she wrote.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, M’Selati called Butch “full of fighting spirit” — eager to defend himself and his choices, and still very proud of his involvement.
“Even now, she has no regrets,” the lawyer said.
She said hate messages against Butch were coming “almost every minute”, while Jolly and cross-dressing performers at the awards ceremony had also been targets of cyberbullying.
Another performer at the controversial scene, drag queen Paloma, said Tuesday that she did not file her own complaint.
But, she said: “If the abuse continues, I will work with my friend Barbara Bucci to take her approach. Right now, I’m trying to focus on the thousands of loving messages I’ve received.”
In response to the criticism, Paloma said her “first reaction is to say if Donald Trump doesn’t react, then we’re not doing our job. Unfortunately, no matter what we do, we get a negative reaction.”
She also said it was hypocritical for critics to base their “extremely homophobic, transphobic, queer, cross-dressing and even anti-Semitic and anti-fat responses” on religion.
Piche, another drag queen at the event, said she was “really happy that the queer community was represented in this show. There was no idea of being offensive or religious in the show. It was just a happy, blissful pop culture moment that most people on the planet could relate to.”
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