Olympics in Paris 2024: “I’ve already been blown away!” Insults, violence… The testimony of drag queen torchbearer Minima Gesté

It was the town hall in Paris that on 1 May announced, drag queen Minima Gesté was chosen to participate in the Olympic torch relay on 14 July in Paris. Guest on BFMTV, she tells her surprise when she received the message asking her to carry the flame. “It fell on me,” she explains.

As soon as the announcement was made by the capital’s town hall, homophobic and transphobic comments and insults multiplied on social networks. A situation that the main character regrets, but which does not surprise her.

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A recurring phenomenon

Minima Gesté objects to these insults and wants to point out that “these are not opinions” and that they are in reality crimes. Paris City Hall has already “reported comments to the Paris prosecutor’s office that she considers potentially constituting the offense of public insult of a homophobic or transphobic nature”. A reaction welcomed by the drag queen who says she is “very proud that Paris City Hall is really behind me”.

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These insults are not a surprise to Minima Gesté who says: “We see that LGBTQIA + phobic crimes continue to increase from year to year. I have paid the price, I have already been beaten up because I am gay, I know it will continue, but I know I will fight to continue to be more and more visible and prevent that from happening.”

Before adding: “If they think this is the first time I’ve been called all these names… I’ve known I’m gay for 15 years, more. It’s not the first time, I know it won’t be last time.

Significant visibility

“As a drag queen, but also as me, Arthur, a young gay man, I am extremely proud to be able to carry the flame on July 14 in Paris” testifies Arthur Raynaud alias Minima Gesté.

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This decision by the town hall still shows “a freedom of prejudice in society, even if there is still homophobic crime, even if there are still trans people who are fucked in the streets, just because of who they are”, specifies the drag queen. Adding that this choice is a very good thing because “visibility is very important.”