The Olympics Opening Ceremony just got a lot more fabulous!
For the first time ever, a drag queen will be one of the dignitaries who carries the Olympic torch. Parisian queen Minima Gesté will perform the honors in her home city.
Cue the conservative outrage!
How about we take this to the next level?
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“I know that visibility is still one of the pillars of acceptance of our LGBTQIA+ community,” she said in her video announcement. “So having a drag queen carry the flame—and who might fall flat on her face with it, wait and see—it’s an enormous source of pride.”
While we appreciate Minima’s modesty, we think she’s being a little hard on herself! She performs on stage in heels all of the time. Carrying the Olympic flame should be nothin’!
The Paris Olympics may be the gayest games on record. At least 186 out LGBTQ+ athletes competed in Tokyo, and the numbers should be similar this year. Last week alone, Tom Daley qualified for the Games, along with swimmer Nick Albiero and surfer Tyler Right.
The majority of Olympic qualifiers take place in June, which means there’s plenty of time for Team LGBTQ+ to keep expanding.
The Olympics is already the most popular sporting event among gay people, with the queer athlete representation and outsider element to many of the games. As Megan Rapinoe once famously said, “You can’t win a championship without gays.”
The Olympics prove her point. There were four out gay players on the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team in 2021, and five on the U.S. Women’s Basketball Team. They’re the most dominant clubs in their respective sports, even though the USWNT came up short in Tokyo.
Even before the games begin, there are always plenty of gay moments. For the last two Summer Olympics, gay men have thirsted after oiled-up Tonga flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua.
There have also been many iconic opening acts performed by queer pop divas. The Space Girls reunited for Closing Ceremonies of the 2012 London Games, giving us what we really, really wanted.
With potentially more out athletes than ever, there’s destined to be strong rainbow representation during this year’s ceremonies. And those LGBTQ+ athletes may be allowed to show symbols of Pride.
Early this year, the International Olympic Committee opened the door for athletes to fly the rainbow flag during the proceedings. While the IOC’s stringent rules likely won’t permit symbols of expression being shown in the Opening Ceremonies, there is a chance athletes could be allowed to express themselves at Olympic venues.
Organizers are trying to make the games welcoming for LGBTQ+ athletes and spectators, with the help of Pride House International. The organization will have a presence in Paris, along with several queer ambassadors.
We expect Minima to set the tone! Judging by her Instagram, she’s used to making a statement. Minima is slated to carry the torch July 14.
Related*
Michael Gunning is on a mission to make the Paris Olympics the gayest yet
The championship-winning swimmer will be an ambassador for Pride House-Paris 2024.
