By: Michael Chang
As of June 16, 2022, the day before the release date of Disney’s film ‘Lightyear,’ over a dozen predominantly Muslim countries legally prohibited showings of the film due to a lesbian kiss that conflicts with common Muslim beliefs.
The Walt Disney Company reportedly stated, “Nations that refused to allow the film to be shown include Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.” All of these countries are located in the Middle East and have a relatively high population of Muslims.
According to Jon Gambrell, a journalist from The Associated Press, “‘Lightyear’ includes a female character voiced by actress Uzo Aduba briefly kissing her female partner in one scene … That proved too much for censors in many Muslim-majority nations, where laws often criminalize same-sex relationships.” With this reasoning, it is important to understand the Islamic laws and beliefs that cause these decisions.
Predictably, people are discouraged from becoming gay or lesbian in these countries. Furthermore, some Muslims even think that these sexual orientations are sinful.
In some parts of the Middle East, members of the LGBTQ+ community have been arrested and sent to prison. Some of these Middle Eastern countries even enforce the death penalty for people who are discovered to be gay or lesbian.
After hearing the news, the cast of ‘Lightyear’ reacted with emotions of frustration and disappointment. Chris Evans, an actor who starred in the film, expressed his opinion, “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.” Through these words, Chris Evans voiced his support for the LGBTQ+ community and his disapproval of the Muslim countries’ decisions.
This story of cinematic censorship due to religious beliefs exemplifies the challenges of balancing entertainment, religion, and sexuality.
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