Pixar's Toy Story Spin-Off Lightyear Got Banned From UAE Cinemas Due To A Lesbian Kiss Between Two Characters
Pixar Story is a groundbreaker in many senses. The first movie of the franchise was the first computer-animated comedy film ever made, introducing the world to a brand new genre of animation.
And Pixar has only released good hits after that.
One of the most positive animation studios, Pixar has become more inclusive and accepting. As a result, Pixar movies have been including more value in their movies. The presence of more minorities and previously less-represented communities has become a staple in Pixar movies.
But that also means Pixar will ruffle a lot of feathers. Especially in less tolerant countries and territories. And Toy Story's spin-off Lightyeay is Pixar's latest work to anger people for being inclusive.
In this case, in the UAE, where Islam is the main religion, the lesbian kiss in Lightyear causes the movie to be banned.
The UAE, like many other Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East, criminalizes same-sex partnerships.
The Emirates, which includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai, declared through the nation's Ministry of Youth and Culture's Media Regulatory Office that the film will not be released in the country on Thursday.
According to the office, the picture "is not approved for public exhibition in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its breach of the country's media content regulations."
'The office verifies that all films played in theatres across the nation are subject to follow-up and review prior to the day of public screening to assure the safety of the disseminated material according to the proper age rating,' says the statement.
The office did not comment on the tweet and did not react to queries from The Associated Press right away.
The tweet provided a screenshot of the film's poster, which had Buzz Lightyear's profile photograph with a red 'no' mark over it.
Cinemas in the UAE, a federation of seven Arabian Peninsula sheikhdoms, have previously advertised showing hours for the film.
However, over the weekend, conservative Emiratis were drawn to a social media movement with the Arabic hashtag 'Ban Showing Lightyear in the Emirates.'
According to the US State Department, Islamic – or Shariah – law in the UAE can involve the death penalty for same-sex behavior, while Dubai can impose a 10-year jail sentence and Abu Dhabi allows for up to 14 years.
However, such prosecutions are seldom recorded, and LGBTQ people reside in Dubai, the skyscraper-studded city-state that is home to the long-haul airline Emirates.
The £164 million Lightyear is predicted to be a big hit for Disney, with analysts predicting it will make more than £82 million in its debut weekend.
In the past, studios have permitted censors to edit films in worldwide distribution for content, including the Middle East market.
Disney has recently faced protests from activists and its own employees for what they called CEO Bob Chapek's delayed response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation nicknamed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the measure in late March, prohibiting education on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten (the equivalent of year one in the UK) through third grade (the equivalent to year four).
The scene had previously been deleted from the film, but it was reinstated after Pixar employees criticized Disney's response to Florida's law.
There were no explanations made.
A newspaper in the Persian Gulf island country of Bahrain suspected that the film would not be screened there as well.
Officials from Malaysia's Film Censorship Board, the Home Affairs Ministry, and The Walt Disney Company could not be reached for comment immediately.
And Pixar has only released good hits after that.
One of the most positive animation studios, Pixar has become more inclusive and accepting. As a result, Pixar movies have been including more value in their movies. The presence of more minorities and previously less-represented communities has become a staple in Pixar movies.
But that also means Pixar will ruffle a lot of feathers. Especially in less tolerant countries and territories. And Toy Story's spin-off Lightyeay is Pixar's latest work to anger people for being inclusive.
In this case, in the UAE, where Islam is the main religion, the lesbian kiss in Lightyear causes the movie to be banned.
The United Arab Emirates has prohibited the release of Pixar's Lightyear due to the scene of a lesbian kiss.
The UAE, like many other Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East, criminalizes same-sex partnerships.
The Emirates, which includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai, declared through the nation's Ministry of Youth and Culture's Media Regulatory Office that the film will not be released in the country on Thursday.
According to the office, the picture "is not approved for public exhibition in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its breach of the country's media content regulations."
'The office verifies that all films played in theatres across the nation are subject to follow-up and review prior to the day of public screening to assure the safety of the disseminated material according to the proper age rating,' says the statement.
The office did not comment on the tweet and did not react to queries from The Associated Press right away.
The tweet provided a screenshot of the film's poster, which had Buzz Lightyear's profile photograph with a red 'no' mark over it.
Cinemas in the UAE, a federation of seven Arabian Peninsula sheikhdoms, have previously advertised showing hours for the film.
However, over the weekend, conservative Emiratis were drawn to a social media movement with the Arabic hashtag 'Ban Showing Lightyear in the Emirates.'
They said that depicting a lesbian relationship on film was against their culture and faith.
According to the US State Department, Islamic – or Shariah – law in the UAE can involve the death penalty for same-sex behavior, while Dubai can impose a 10-year jail sentence and Abu Dhabi allows for up to 14 years.
However, such prosecutions are seldom recorded, and LGBTQ people reside in Dubai, the skyscraper-studded city-state that is home to the long-haul airline Emirates.
The £164 million Lightyear is predicted to be a big hit for Disney, with analysts predicting it will make more than £82 million in its debut weekend.
In the past, studios have permitted censors to edit films in worldwide distribution for content, including the Middle East market.
Disney has recently faced protests from activists and its own employees for what they called CEO Bob Chapek's delayed response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation nicknamed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the measure in late March, prohibiting education on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten (the equivalent of year one in the UK) through third grade (the equivalent to year four).
The scene had previously been deleted from the film, but it was reinstated after Pixar employees criticized Disney's response to Florida's law.
The film may possibly be banned in Malaysia.
There were no explanations made.
A newspaper in the Persian Gulf island country of Bahrain suspected that the film would not be screened there as well.
Officials from Malaysia's Film Censorship Board, the Home Affairs Ministry, and The Walt Disney Company could not be reached for comment immediately.
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