Why were Republicans freaking out over a drag performance at the Olympics?

A brief moment in the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony created instant uproar among Republican members of Congress. Lawmakers slammed a moment that appeared to recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with drag performers, though event organizers say that was never the intent.

“They spent all that money to host Olympic 2024 in Paris only to embarrass France by opening the games with a freak show?” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio posted on X.

So what has politicians in the U.S. and around the globe outraged?

The tableau

Rubio shared the image that offended him.

For a brief moment in international broadcasts, drag performer Barbara Butch was shown surrounded by other performers on one side of an extended tabletops. Many around the world believed the scene intended to evoke the famous da Vinci painting, with Butch in the role of Jesus Christ, something Butch seemed to confirm in a since-deleted Instagram post reading “Oh yes! Oh yes! The gay new testament!”

Was that the intent?

Thomas Jolly, the openly gay artistic director for the ceremony, told the BFM that depiction had not been his intention. "The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus," he said. "You'll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone,” Jolly said.

The Paris Olympic Committee has apologized many were offended but also said there was no intention to mock faith. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said at a press event, according to the Associated Press.

For the record, there are reasons to think the image wasn’t intended as a de Vinci recreation at all. The famed painting shows Jesus dining with his 12 disciples, but at least 15 individuals surround Butch even in the controversial tableau. Other images from the same show set include a clear depiction of the Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, and Jolly has said he intended to show a pagan celebration of the Greek Gods, and many have noted similarities with another painting, “Feast of the Gods” by Jan van Bijlert.

Backlash persists

Still, numerous Republican leaders immediately reacted with outrage to the idea of LGBTQ+ apostles in an Olympics ceremony.

“Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games,” posted U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, on X. “The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail.”

He then cited a scripture from the Book of John stating: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Rubio similar anchored his resentment in scripture, with works from the Book of Jude: “In the last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires.”

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican who last month compared Donald Trump to Jesus, slammed the entire opening ceremony for including LGBTQ+ performers. She accused the French government of using takedown orders to erase images online of such heresy.

“The French Olympic Committee has been hard at work taking down videos of their satanic, trans, and occult opening ceremonies claiming copyright laws,” Greene posted on X. “It’s our first amendment right to share these videos and our outright outrage over the anti-Christian Olympic opening ceremonies.”

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, also a GOP lawmaker, made clear she doesn’t buy attempts by the Olympic Committee or Jolly to distance themselves from the controversy.

“This was an intentional choice to mock Christianity and Christians,” she posted on X. “It’s disgraceful. And it’s the same kind of bizarre craziness that’s being pushed on children and teenagers across America. We need to turn our eyes back to God and restore common sense.”