Twenty Republican senators sent a letter to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, demanding that the Olympic charter be revised to avoid performances that mock faith.
The letter, led by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), comes in response to the opening ceremony performance featuring drag queens in a scene reminiscent of “The Last Supper.”
“We write in response to the vulgar mockery of the Christian faith on display at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The Games should unite people of every country, race, and creed,” the senators wrote. “There is no place for anti-Christian bigotry at an event designed to bring the world together.”
“We urge you to take immediate action by amending Rule 55 of the Olympic Charter to ensure that no faiths are the subject of mockery as part of the opening or closing ceremonies ever again,” they added.
The letter went on to criticize Bach’s statement: “In a world torn apart by wars and conflicts, it is thanks to this solidarity that we can all come together tonight, uniting the athletes from the territories of all 2016 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.”
“How can we say we are in solidarity while bigotry and derision are part of the opening ceremonies?” the senators asked.
The Republicans urged the IOC to “formally condemn the mockery that occurred in Paris of one of the most sacred moments of the Christian faith.” They added that the IOC should then “make formal changes to ensure this kind of divisive display is not repeated to ensure that Coubertin’s vision for the Games may continue to thrive,” referring to the French founder of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
“Every person, from every nation and every faith, should be encouraged to enjoy the Olympics without being belittled or mocked. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the letter concluded.
Those who signed the letter alongside Langford included John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Risch (R-ID), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Todd Young (R-IN).
Olympic organizers recently issued an apology to Christians over the opening ceremony performance.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry.”
