Barbara Butch after Olympic backlash: Legal actions underway

Barbara Butch, who became widely known around the world because of her performance during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, has been the target of online hate since Friday. The artist couldn't withstand the pressure.

The world was shaken after Friday's inauguration ceremony of the Olympic Games. The public outcry, however, wasn't related to the emotions accompanying the solemn ceremony. Internet users, politicians, journalists, and public figures focused their attention on a drag queen's performance. In the opinion of many, particularly those who are conservative and aligned with the right, the show was outrageous and offensive to the religious feelings of Christians, especially Catholics.

The public associated the scene enacted by the LGBT group with Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper." The framing indeed resembled an element of the famous painting, although such references are not uncommon in culture. The identical motif has appeared many times in series and movies. The organizers of the Games eventually apologized, and in the meantime, the news broke that the performance drew inspiration from another painting — "The Feast of the Gods," where Apollo is crowned among the divine company, and in the foreground is the god of fertility, wine, and wild nature — Dionysus.

However, the damage was already done. Barbara Butch, who played the role of the presumed Jesus in the staging, had to deal with such a large wave of hate that she decided to take legal steps.

"Since the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games artist, DJ, and activist Barbara Butch has been the target of an in an extremely violent campaign of cyber-harassment and defamation. Barbara Butch condemns this vile hatred directed at her, what she represents and what she stands for," reads a statement by Barbara Butch.

To summarize: people outraged by the staging of the "Last Supper" by a group of queer activists are sending the artist criminal threats and wishing her a terrible, cruel fate? Besides being horrifying—that's extraordinarily ironic.

The lawyers of Barbara Butch announced that she has filed many complaints against individuals who have committed these acts, both French and foreign extremists. They also added that the artist will take similar actions if anyone damages her reputation in the future.

"I've never been ashamed of who I am, and I take responsibility for everything - including my artistic choices. All my life, I've refused to be a victim: I won't shut up," summed up the activist.