In an inspiring moment proving that we can still have cultural controversies centered around the Christian right that have all the bite of a Chihuahua, Christians have gotten annoyed by one segment of the Parisian Opening Ceremony. Why? The ceremony included a tableau that was altogether similar (though not identical to) Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” and included drag queens (including the host of Drag Race France, Nicky Doll), DJ Barbara Butch, a transgender woman, and a guy who blue’d himself to appear as Dionysus. The tableau was thusly considered an affront to Christian values because it “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity,” the Catholic church of France claimed. The controversy continued on social media when charming individuals like Piers Morgan and Jillian Michaels chimed in. The Opening Ceremony organizers, meanwhile, denied the connection. Thomas Jolly, Olympics and Paralympics’ artistic director, told BFMTV that, “You will never find in my work a desire to denigrate anyone or anything” and explained that the reference was just to a regular pagan feast and the gods of Olympus. That’s it!
Anyway, all of this might be a moot point since we think Leonardo da Vinci would have been at the drag shows. Historians like Serge Bramly and David M. Friedman have contended that he was an actively practicing homosexual, and he was, in fact, charged with sodomy during his lifetime. Honestly, he was probably stanning the “Innamorata” when he went to see commedia dell’arte, he was maybe in love with noted twink Salai, and he had a Will & Grace vibe with Isabella d’Este. Even if the tableau was referencing da Vinci’s painting, then is it really offensive to queer the work of, to quote the pope of all people, a “frociaggine”?
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