Drag artist Nikki Doll felt like she was on cloud nine after the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics: Her makeup withstood 45 minutes of torrential rain as she performed on a bridge over the Seine, having just witnessed wacking and voguing, a dance form with queer roots, reach an audience of billions around the world.
Returning to the dressing room on the boat, there was a celebratory mood. “We are all very proud that we have been given a platform in 2024,” said the group. Become familiar“I was like, ‘I’m not a real person.'” said Doll, who is known for appearing on reality TV shows. RuPaul’s Drag Race and, Drag Race France.
It wasn’t until the next day that Dole found herself at the center of an Olympic-level backlash. French Catholic bishops denounced the ceremony as a “mockery and mockery of Christianity.” Donald Trump called the spectacle a “disgrace.” Critics focused their ire on footage of Dole posing alongside the other athletes. Drag Racing Artists interpreted it as a parody, The Last SupperThe organizers denied that the painting was the inspiration for the 1950s American flagship, a painting by Leonardo da Vinci that’s a key image in Christian iconography. But at the time, it didn’t matter. The online mob was gaining momentum.
On Doll’s phone, the momentum manifested itself in the form of a flood of notifications. She was tagged by name and sent personal attacks in direct messages. Then the threats continued: “I know your address,” “I have a gun,” “I’m going to cut your head.” Other performers were also harassed. The Paris prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press that a special police unit specializing in combating hate crimes was investigating online harassment targeting lesbian activist DJ Barbara Bucci.
“As queer people, we’re used to being criticized on social media,” said Doll, who is originally from Marseille and now lives in New York, “but when I saw that they were using religion to attack us, it felt like an unexpected and cruel treatment.”
Behind the messages were the usual group of anonymous trolls hiding behind accounts with no name or profile picture. But among them was Laurence Fox, the British actor turned right-wing commentator notorious for his misogynistic and homophobic remarks. On the night of the opening ceremony, amid the backlash, Fox posted a video of the catwalk scene to X, calling the performers “little pedophiles.” The post is still available on the platform with a fact-check label stating, “There is no evidence that anyone in the photo is a pedophile.”
In response, Dole, who appeared next to Butch in the video, decided to sue Fox for defamation in France. “I want to sue him personally because I want him to understand that he cannot continue to use us for his own personal ends and that his words matter,” she said. “The message he sends to his fanbase matters. He promotes hatred, homophobia and transphobia.” Representatives for Fox and X did not respond to WIRED’s requests for comment.
