French Performer Barbara Butch Showcases Defiance by Carrying Paralympic Torch
French performer Barbara Butch made a powerful statement on Sunday evening by carrying the Paralympic torch, despite facing hate speech due to her appearance in the Olympic Games opening ceremony. In an act of defiance, Butch walked onstage with the torch at a musical event in Saint-Cloud, a western suburb of Paris, emphasizing her refusal to be silenced.
Butch, a popular DJ and LGBTQ+ icon, spoke out against the online abuse she had endured following her performance in the Olympics opening show on July 26. She filed a formal legal complaint after receiving death threats, insults, and harassment. Along with five other artists and performers, including the ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly, Butch took a stand against the torrent of abuse they had faced.
Despite receiving “tens of thousands of hate messages,” Butch expressed confidence that justice would prevail. The torch relay for the Paralympic flame involves nearly 1,000 torchbearers, split between 12 torches, who will visit 50 cities across France in the next few days to promote inclusion in sport and raise awareness about living with disabilities.
Other torchbearers include former Paralympians, young para athletes, volunteers from Paralympic federations, technological innovators, and individuals dedicated to supporting those with impairments. The relay will culminate in central Paris on Wednesday, where the 12 flames will unite before lighting the cauldron at the opening ceremony.
For more coverage of the Paralympics, visit AP’s Paralympics hub.
