Disney’s ‘Lightyear,’ With a Same-Sex Kiss, Faces a Backlash in Some Muslim Countries
Disney’s new movie “Lightyear,” an offshoot of the “Toy Story” franchise, faces bans or restrictions in parts of Southeast Asia and the Middle East over a scene that features a kiss between two women.
The animated film opens around the world this week. The United Arab Emirates has banned “Lightyear” from public screenings, and Malaysia has asked Disney to cut several scenes from the film before it can be shown in local cinemas, according to officials in the Muslim-majority countries.
In Indonesia, the nation with the world’s largest Muslim population, the chairman of the Film Censorship Board told The New York Times on Wednesday that the kissing scene could potentially violate a law that prohibits movies that show “deviant sexual behavior.” “The Film Censorship Board doesn’t want to be drawn into the vortex of debate over pro L.G.B.T.
versus anti-L.G.B.T.,” said the chairman, Rommy Fibri. “But that kissing scene is sensitive.” Disney did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
