DJ Barbara Butch on carrying Paralympic torch amid Olympics backlash: ‘As queer people we’ll never go back in the closet’
Exclusive: "We will not let anyone harrass us again," the LGBTQ+ activist tells Attitude
By Dale Fox
French DJ Barbara Butch carried the Paralympic torch on Sunday evening, standing against a wave of online abuse she’s endured since her appearance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Barbara was one of nearly 1,000 torch bearers participating in the Paralympic torch relay across France ahead of the Games’ opening on Wednesday.
Speaking to Attitude, the activist and Attitude Pride Awards recipient said: “I wanted to let the world know that as queer people we will never go back in the closet. We will not let anyone harrass us again. We have the right to be visible.”
She added: “It was important for me to also represent differently-able people to tell the world that we all have to work together to be more inclusive.”
The DJ’s participation comes after she filed a formal legal complaint alleging online harassment, death threats, and insults stemming from her performance at the Olympic opening ceremony on 26 July. Five other artists, including the ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly, lodged similar complaints after facing abuse.
Barbara revealed she had received “tens of thousands of hate messages” following the ceremony. A specialised team has identified “hundreds of people who had sent … the most violet messages,” she stated.
“All the violence and negativity I’ve experienced, I can make it something bigger to help others go forward with a lot of love”
Barbara Butch was a recipient of an ICON award at the 2023 Attitude Pride Awards. In an interview with Attitude to accept the award, the DJ told us: “I’m a fat, Jewish, queer lesbian, and I’m really proud of all my identities, because they make me what I am now as a human.”
She added: “All the violence and negativity I’ve experienced, I can make it something bigger to help others go forward with a lot of love.”
The Paris 2024 opening sequence broadcast in July featuring Butch sparked a fierce backlase, with some interpreting it as a reference to The Last Supper painting. However, Jolly denied this, saying it was inspired by Greek mythology and intended to celebrate diversity.
The Paralympic torch relay involves 12 separate flames that will be carried to 50 cities across France in the coming days. The torches will be carried by a diverse group including former Paralympians, young para-athletes, volunteers from Paralympic federations, and individuals dedicated to supporting those with disabilities.
This Wednesday (28 August), the Paralympic torch relay will conclude in central Paris, where the 12 flames will be reunited to light the cauldron during a three-hour opening ceremony.