Since Lightyear, the new movie based on the iconic Toy Story character, was announced, Disney fans decided to find out everything about this story, and one of the details that came to light was that the film would have an LGBTQ+ friendly scene.
The information caused a stir in some parts of the world. Some applauded that the Disney Pixar films began to have inclusive content, but on the other hand some countries, especially those in the Middle East were unhappy with the decision.
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Now that Lightyear is about to be released in our country and is already in theaters around the world, some countries decided to prohibit its projection due to the homophobia that still exists among their population.
The Media Regulatory Office of the Ministry of Youth and Culture of the United Arab Emirates has just published a statement on its Twitter account, in which they announce that the animated film will not be released in theaters next Thursday because it does not meet the standards set by the Government and “offends Islamic beliefs”, by including among its scenes a kiss between two women.
“It is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE due to its violation of the country’s media content standards,” reads the tweet.
It is worth noting that the film’s schedules had already been announced by some cinemas, but it was after a campaign appeared on social networks with the Arabic hashtag “Ban Showing Lightyear in the Emirates”, which complained about the inclusion of a lesbian couple in the film, that what was established was modified.
“The office confirms that all films screened in cinemas across the country are subject to monitoring and evaluation prior to the date of screening to the public, to ensure the safety of the content circulated in accordance with the appropriate age rating,” the regulatory office said.
In addition to the UAE, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia are to ban the movie. Reports of a possible banning in China are circulating, although is not yet confirmed if the movie will be projected in Chinese cinemas.
Story originally published in Cultura Colectiva in Spanish
