French performer Barbara Butch carried the Paralympic torch Sunday evening in an act of defiance after being targeted by hate speech over her appearance in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
“I chose not to be afraid to exist in the public space,” Barbara Butch, a popular DJ and LGBTQ+ icon said in an interview with broadcaster France Info before walking onstage with the torch at a musical event in Saint-Cloud, a western suburb of Paris. “I know I represent France in the same way as anyone else,” she added.
The performer filed a formal legal complaint alleging online abuse after suffering online harassment, death threats, and insults following her performance in the July 26 Olympics opening show. Five other artists and performers, including the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, made similar complaints after enduring a torrent of abuse.
Butch said she has received “tens of thousands of hate messages.” A specialized team has managed to identify “hundreds of people who had sent … the most violent messages,” she said.
“Justice will do its job and then we will tackle the international level,” Butch stated.
Butch was among nearly 1,000 torch bearers who will carry the Paralympic flame, split between 12 torches, to 50 cities across France in the coming days. This initiative aims to highlight communities committed to promoting inclusion in sports and raising awareness about living with disabilities.
Other torch bearers include former Paralympians, young para athletes, volunteers from Paralympic federations, innovators of advanced technological support, people who dedicate their lives to assisting those with impairments, and workers in the non-profit sector supporting carers.
The 12 flames will reunite when the relay concludes in central Paris on Wednesday. The torch will visit historical sites along the city’s famed boulevards and plazas, culminating in lighting the cauldron during the three-hour opening ceremony.
