The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, condemned on Friday May 3 "homophobic and transphobic remarks" targeting the drag queen Minima Gesté, whom she selected as bearer of the Olympic flame during her visit to the capital, on 14 and July 15th.
Broadcast on Wednesday, the video presenting Minima Gesté and her motivations as a torchbearer “was the target of numerous homophobic and transphobic comments that the City of Paris condemns without reservation,” said Ms. Hidalgo in a press release. The town hall explains that it chose Minima Gesté, icon of the Parisian drag scene, “to help it carry its message of love, openness and equality”.
“One of the messages that I would very much like to carry with this relay is the pride of my community that I bring with me because ten years ago this is something that would never have been possible, having a drag queen who carries the Olympic flame”, launched Minima Gesté in this video, also emphasizing that “visibility remains one of the pillars of acceptance of the LGBTQIA community”.
“100% for the buzz”
“Yes, I am proud and yes, Paris is proud that a drag queen carries the flame and therefore the values of peace and humanity,” said Ms. Hidalgo, quoted in the press release. The elected socialist “gives her full support to Minima Gesté” that the Paris City Hall “will help in any legal action it could take” against “this digital harassment, notably relayed by far-right media”.
Ms. Hidalgo also proceeded, under article 40 of the code of criminal procedure, "to report to the Paris prosecutor comments that she considers potentially constituting the offense of public insult of a homophobic or transphobic nature", specifies the municipality.
Interviewed Thursday on TF1, Marion Maréchal, named head of the Reconquête list! for the European elections, criticized the “particularly vulgar, hypersexualized” representations of Minima Gesté. “I don’t consider this to be a good way to represent France in the eyes of the world,” added the candidate from Eric Zemmour’s party.
“It goes completely over my head that Marion Maréchal Le Pen (…) does not agree with the fact that I carry the Olympic flame,” reacted Thursday in her Instagram story Minima Gesté. The drag queen also accused on X TF1 of having asked Marion Maréchal to speak on this subject “100% for the buzz”. " What did you expect ? Let her say “Oh wow, what good news!” ? “, she added.
