Amidst the premiere of Disney’s latest film “Lightyear,” the animation company revealed on Thursday that it has been facing criticism. The movie has been banned from playing at cinemas in much of the Muslim world due to a scene depicting a kiss between two lesbians.
One of the main protagonists of “Lightyear,” Alisha Hawthorne, is featured briefly kissing another woman during a scene within the animated film. For many Muslim nations, the scene proved to be too much, especially due to their widespread disapproval towards members of the LGBTQ+ community.
According to Disney, thirteen nations in the Arab world and the Palestinian territory would not allow the film to be shown on screens. These nations include Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.
This rejection of “Lightyear” can be attributed to the fact that many Muslims consider same-sex relationships to be sinful. Throughout Muslim nations, it has not been uncommon for members of the LGBTQ+ to have been arrested, sentenced to prison, or even given the death penalty.
Chris Evans, the actor portraying hero Buzz Lightyear, feels frustrated about the pervasive Muslim unacceptance. He said, “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.”
In an article written for ABC News, journalist Jon Gambrell wrote, “Recently, Disney has faced protests from activists and its own staff over what they described as CEO Bob Chapek’s slow response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation that opponents dubbed as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.” As matters relating to LGBTQ+ become more common, people have been watching how large corporations respond to these prevalent social issues.
In the past, studios have allowed certain scenes to be censored in global distribution, particularly to appease consumers such as the ones in the Middle East area. The same-sex kiss scene had initially been cut out from the film “Lightyear,” but Pixar employees’ protests over the Florida bill led to its restoration.
Link to article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1655670108756x764239565983693800/Disney%27s%20%27Lightyear%27%20banned%20in%20Muslim%20world%20for%20lesbian%20kiss%20-%20ABC%20News.pdf
One of the main protagonists of “Lightyear,” Alisha Hawthorne, is featured briefly kissing another woman during a scene within the animated film. For many Muslim nations, the scene proved to be too much, especially due to their widespread disapproval towards members of the LGBTQ+ community.
According to Disney, thirteen nations in the Arab world and the Palestinian territory would not allow the film to be shown on screens. These nations include Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.
This rejection of “Lightyear” can be attributed to the fact that many Muslims consider same-sex relationships to be sinful. Throughout Muslim nations, it has not been uncommon for members of the LGBTQ+ to have been arrested, sentenced to prison, or even given the death penalty.
Chris Evans, the actor portraying hero Buzz Lightyear, feels frustrated about the pervasive Muslim unacceptance. He said, “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.”
In an article written for ABC News, journalist Jon Gambrell wrote, “Recently, Disney has faced protests from activists and its own staff over what they described as CEO Bob Chapek’s slow response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation that opponents dubbed as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.” As matters relating to LGBTQ+ become more common, people have been watching how large corporations respond to these prevalent social issues.
In the past, studios have allowed certain scenes to be censored in global distribution, particularly to appease consumers such as the ones in the Middle East area. The same-sex kiss scene had initially been cut out from the film “Lightyear,” but Pixar employees’ protests over the Florida bill led to its restoration.
Link to article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1655670108756x764239565983693800/Disney%27s%20%27Lightyear%27%20banned%20in%20Muslim%20world%20for%20lesbian%20kiss%20-%20ABC%20News.pdf
