Meet the Queer Man Behind This Year's Olympic Games in Paris

If the opening and closing ceremonies of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris feel a little more inclusive this year, it's because of queer-identifying ceremonies director Thomas Jolly.

Jolly, is one of France's leading artistic directors, and in an interview with Vogue he shared that his goal for this year's games is to make "everyone to feel represented."

Jolly was chosen by a specially appointed committee after he reportedly submitted a double-page interview to the French newspaper L'Équipe about how he would direct the ceremony.

Soon he got a call from the executive director of the 2024 Olympics, followed by a call from Paris' mayor, and the rest is history.

In the ceremonial festivities, Jolly aims to show that there is "room for everyone in Paris," he said. "Maybe it's a little chaotic, it's true, but that allows everyone to find a place for themselves."

Jolly has learned to prioritize inclusivity after a childhood of being bullied for being himself.

"I had yellow Doc Martens. All day I was jeered at because of my yellow shoes," he remembers. "I thought, 'Do you realize how absurd this is?'"

Discovering stage, performance and the world of theater, Jolly felt that "anything is possible."

"The first time I set foot on a stage," Jolly recalled, "I thought, I can be more at ease with myself here. I felt closer to myself than I did in life."

An amazing realization and passion that viewers will feel during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

"I'm very focused," Jolly said about his Olympic duties.

He adds, "I know I'm cutting myself off from my family and my friends... But I'll catch up. It'll be okay. I'll catch up."

Until, the world will be watching what he comes up with.

Read Jolly's complete interview in Vogue.