Paris 2024 Olympics: the rainbow Games — a brand new Pride House takes up residence on the banks of the river Seine 

The extraordinary opening ceremony of Paris 2024 set a thoroughly modern tone for these Games, with a flamboyant, diversity-celebrating extravaganza that put the LGBTQIA+ community centre stage. The new Paris Pride House aims to continue this trend by perpetuating a proud legacy started over a decade ago at the Vancouver Winter Games.

On friday night, drag queen Piche danced to Freed From Desire by Gala, Nicky Doll, the French Drag Race host, lipsynced to Dalida, and GG Palmer, Germain Louvet and Princess Madoki all made cameo appearances in Thomas Jolly's opus.

The global divas Lady Gaga and Céline Dion contributed also to the notion that these would be Rainbow Games, where diversity is celebrated openly and proudly.

At Paris 2024 Olympics, “nobody should hide who they are”

There was surprise from some quarters at this contemporary focus, but truth be told, the LGBTQIA+ community has been playing a central role in Olympic ideology for many years now.

The first Olympic Pride House was inaugurated at the Vancouver winter games in 2010. It was the brainchild of Dean Nelson, a Canadian businessman who specialises in LGBTQIA+ tourism. Nelson's goal was to provide a welcoming place for gay and lesbian athletes, their coaches, and their friends and family over a decade ago already.

According to Outsports, a website that has compiled a database of openly queer Olympians, 191 LGBTQ+ athletes are competing at Paris 2024, and thIs number surpasses the previous record of 186 at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. In this context, Pride Houses provide a critical safe space for an increasing number of competitors who come from countries with anti-gay laws that punish their LGBTQIA+ communities cruelly.

As Jérémy Goupille, co-president of Fier Play, one of the Paris Pride House organisers points out, “nobody should hide who they are”.

"And when it reconciles with itself, by embracing all dimensions of its greatness, all of its people, all of its citizens, without discrimination, it is the most beautiful country in the world "

In the field of sport, the French government has also made efforts to destigmatise marginal communities. They have worked closely with the Fière foundation which bestows a label that rewards all sports organisations, clubs, and associations that fight discrimination, notably against LGBTQIA+ competitors.

The French Sports minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, was present at the inauguration of the new Pride House on the banks of the Seine, and she too noted the role played by the opening ceremony in changing the narrative regarding minority communities.

"Like all of us, I was extremely proud of the opening ceremony on Friday night. I think, that this City of Light, this city of love, expressed itself with respect. It expressed itself with a blend of tradition and modernity that honors our country and allowed it to show what it is capable of. And when it reconciles with itself, by embracing all dimensions of its greatness, all of its people, all of its citizens, without discrimination, it is the most beautiful country in the world", she said.

"Connect and Unite. Our Pride for the Future"

Fumino Sugiyama, a member of Japan’s national women’s fencing team before he started transitioning, knows more than most what these safe spaces mean to transgender athletes.

As part of the Japanese delegation present at the launch, he was keen to perpetiuate the tradition of Pride Houses. "The Pride House concept started in 2010 in Vancouver. And after that, each host city, passed the baton to the next host city — except Sochi. We received our baton from PyeongChang in Korea, so we are so proud to be here to pass our baton, and to pass our love, to Pride House Paris members here today", he declared, visibly moved by the occasion.

Characteristically, the Japanese had not taken the term "baton" too literally, choosing instead to present the Paris Pride House team with a beautiful tapestry sporting an interwoven rainbow design, and inscribed with the words, "Connect & Unite. Our Pride for the Future".

Who can argue with that?

With the baton passed on, and the rainbow ribbon duly cut and shared, the volunteers, the minister, and the Japanese delegation, departed stage left, to make way for an altogether more flamboyant guest of honour. No Pride House inauguration would ever be complete without a performance after all.

Ultimately, Pride Houses belong to the members of the LGBTQIA+ community — these are places where they can express themselves without fear or doubt. As she strode onto the stage holding a rainbow flag aloft, there was little doubt that the Mexican artist, singer, songwriter, performer, actress, and philanthropist, Jaydena, felt at home on the Paris Pride House stage.