The summer Olympics are fast approaching, and it sounds like a special person has been chosen as one of the carriers of the Olympic flame for the opening ceremonies: 33-year-old Parisian drag queen Minima Gesté.
This week, Minima Gesté was announced as one of the select few who will have the honor of carrying the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony. And Gesté is understandably very excited about the opportunity and what it will mean for the LGBTQIA+ community.
“I know that visibility is still one of the pillars of acceptance of our LGBTQIA+ community,” Gesté said in a video announcing her participation. “So having a drag queen carry the flame—and who might fall flat on her face with it, wait and see—it’s an enormous source of pride.”
While some have criticized the decision to allow the 33-year-old drag queen to carry the torch, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo made it clear that she supports Gesté.
“I reaffirm my full support for her,” Hidalgo said in a statement on Friday. “I’ll say it again: I am proud and, yes, Paris is proud that a drag queen will carry the torch and the values of peace and humanity.”
It’s certainly a high honor for Gesté.
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