By: Anya Li
Officials across many predominantly Muslim countries have prevented the new Disney movie “Lightyear” from being played in theaters after the incorporation of a brief scene featuring a lesbian couple kissing.
The movie was released June 17 this year and features Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, and Dale Soules voicing the characters of Buzz Lightyear, Izzy, Sox, Mo, and Darby, respectively, among other actors. “Lightyear” was pretty highly anticipated upon its release, and is a spin-off of the iconic “Toy Story” film series. Analysts estimated that the movie could gross over $100 million in its first weekend. The film industry is still recovering from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic that significantly affected the box offices of movies since cinemas were closed. However, this banning could be a major hit for the box office.
Thirteen countries plus the Palestinian territory have refused to allow the film to be shown because “Lightyear” includes a female character momentarily kissing her female partner at one point in the film, and that proved to be too much for censors.
In many Muslim-majority countries, laws often criminalize same-sex relationships. In some parts of the Arab world, members of the LGBTQ+ community have been arrested and sent to prison, with several even facing the death penalty if caught. The Human Rights Watch has reported that at least 69 countries have national laws criminalizing same-sex relationships between consenting adults, with most of the nations being primarily Muslim.
The countries that have banned the film include Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this week, the UAE said it would not allow the film to be played.
The film’s stars have called the decision of the UAE disappointing. Actor Chris Evans said, “Yeah, it’s frustrating. It feels good to be a part of something that is making social progress, but it’s with this ribbon of bittersweet frustration that at the same time, there are still places that have not caught up.”
Links to articles: https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/disneys-lightyear-banned-muslim-world-lesbian-kiss-85440534
http://internap.hrw.org/features/features/lgbt_laws/