French DJ and LGBTQ+ icon carries Paralympic torch to defy hate she endured over Olympics ceremony

PARIS (AP) — French performer Barbara Butch carried the Paralympic torch on Sunday evening in an act of defiance after being targeted by hate speech over her appearance in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Butch, a popular DJ and LGBTQ+ icon, filed a formal legal complaint alleging online abuse after suffering online harassment, death threats and insults following her performance in the July 26 Olympics opening show. Five other artists and performers, including the opening ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, have filed similar complaints. By carrying the Paralympic torch on the stage of a music event in Paris, Butch said, she has chosen “not to be afraid to exist in the public space.”