Though this year’s Paris Olympics was intended to be a celebration of sportsmanship from many different countries and cultures around the globe, many issues regarding diversity and inclusion still received great attention from audiences worldwide. As a brand responsible for enhancing queer fashion and celebrating individuality, we at OLUV have been very invested in the queer athletes and performances at the Olympics. Here are some notable moments that we think are worthy of discussion.
We were first incredibly proud and excited for the appearance of notable French drag queens in parts of the opening ceremony. As part of the four-hour long series of acts overlooking the Seine River, Nicky Doll of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Drag Race France” participated in a high-energy performance alongside notable drag peers Paloma, Piche, and Giselle Palmer. While many Christains were unhappy about this performance’s “insult” to their religion, many people who supported the performance saw it as a liberating show of pride for members of the LGBTQIA+ community all over the world. Though France is not perfect in its acceptance of queer people, we at OLUV support this demonstration of queer excellence and hope that it brings attention to the struggles of the gay community all around the world.
However, there were also moments in this event where queer people came under attack. One such instance was in the debate surrounding Imane Khelif, a cisgender female Algerian boxer, who was accused by her opponent in the preliminaries and by notable online figures of being transgender. Though she herself was not queer, her critics managed to vilify her and the queer community, starting a frantic discussion about the presence of trans people in sports.
Despite the criticism and scrutiny directed towards the queer, community, many gay athletes also saw great successes in their respective events. Notably, the US’ Nikki Hiltz, a mid-distance runner who identifies as trans/non-binary, broke boundaries by being the first trans athlete to compete in a track and field final at the Olympics. Running in the Women’s 1500-meter race, they successfully advanced from the semi-finals and was able to place 7th in the competition with a time of 3:56.38. Tom Daley, the famous openly gay springboard diver, also managed to take home medals for his home country of England. He placed second in the Men’s Synchronized 10m platform diving event, and as of August 2024, has retired as a diver.
As an event that millions of people around the world tune into, the Olympics are especially important in the ways that they serve as a stage to platform social issues and a launching pad for audiences to engage in heated discourse. Do you agree with the opinions we’ve voiced, or think we’ve left out any important topics? Comment down below for a chance to win a prize from some of our newest collections!
