Minima Geste has emerged as the latest focal point in the culture war surrounding the Games, following controversies over the music selection for the opening ceremony and the design of the official Paris 2024 Olympics poster. 

"I reaffirm my full support for her," Paris' socialist mayor Anne 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."

The city stated that Geste had been subjected to "homophobic and transphobic insults", and it pledged to assist her in initiating legal proceedings. 

"Having a drag queen carry the torch, and perhaps fall over, wait and see, is an enormous source of pride," said Geste. "One of the messages that I want to carry is the pride in my community because 10 years ago having a drag queen carry the torch would have been unimaginable," added the campaigner for the LGBTQIA+ community.

She remarked that performing as a drag queen in corsets and high heels was physically demanding, noting that it is "not yet an Olympic sport". The 33-year-old added that they had previously participated in wrestling and synchronised swimming.

Far-right politician Marion Marechal stated that Geste was accountable for "particularly vulgar" and "hyper-sexualised performances". "I don't think that this is a good way of representing France to the world," she told the TF1 channel on Thursday.

Marechal, the niece of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, and other conservatives have expressed outrage over reports that Franco-Malian R&B superstar Aya Nakamura would perform during the opening ceremony. Le Pen criticised Nakamura's attire, accused her of not singing in French and asserted that the artist's appearance would "humiliate" people.

This criticism, viewed by critics such as Culture Minister Rachida Dati as racially motivated, underscored the challenges of fostering national unity around the Olympics in a deeply divided country. The unveiling of the official poster in March, a detailed hand-drawn depiction of Paris, stirred debate about the nation's heritage and identity, particularly due to the absence of a Christian cross atop the Invalides landmark.

The torch relay is scheduled to commence on 8 May in Marseille with the Games' opening ceremony on 26 July.