LGBTQI+ Leader Defends Paris Opening Ceremony: Bemoans Lack of Visibility, Acceptance, Public Profile for Community

The leader of France’s LGBTQI+ community has defended the Paris Olympics opening ceremony from critics who attacked its mocking tableau of “The Last Supper” and the host of drag queens on center stage, lamenting his community is largely ignored and lacks acceptance.

Inter-LGBT President James Leperlier claimed France still has significant strides to make in inclusivity and the chance to highlight his community was important to elevate it into the international consciousness, AP reports.

“We know in the LGBTQ community in France we are far from what the ceremony showed. There’s much progress to do in society regarding transgender people. It’s terrible that to legally change their identity they are forced to be on trial,” Leperlier said, even as others recoiled from what they saw.

He further claimed the gay community is not visible in other official ceremonies and “has difficulty being heard.”

“If you saw the opening ceremony last night you’d think it was like that normally, but it’s not. France tried to show what it should be and not what it is,” he said.

As Breitbart News reported, there were plenty of critics of the Olympics opening ceremonies which were applauded by others as the “gayest ever,” as Parisian Olympics officials featured an LGBTQI+ parody of the “Last Supper” along with a woke fashion show featuring gender-bending fashions and transgender models.

Others pointed to a strongly suggested bisexual threesome, and a scantily-clad, bearded drag queen doing a provocative dance, as inappropriate for something that has traditionally celebrated sports and those who take part.

Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, afterward drew attention away from “The Last Supper” references, saying that hadn’t been his intention.

Le Filip, the recent winner of “Drag Race France,” expressed positive “surprise” and “pride” at the ceremony’s scale and representation, responding to the criticism of the scenes by dismissing critics.

“It feels like the words of somebody who didn’t get on the guest list. We could all be laughing together. It’s sad to me, honestly.”

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