Zoe Terakes issues statement after Talk to Me banned in Kuwait over trans actor
Australian actor Zoe Terakes has spoken out after the hit horror film Talk To Me was banned in Kuwait for casting them. The non-binary transmasculine actor took to Instagram to comment on the situation. “I’ve been wondering how to respond to this,” they began. “Whether it deserves the dignity of a response. “This isn’t the first film Kuwait has banned.
If there are queer or trans themes or scenes in your film, it’s probably not gonna make it to the Gulf. Which is devastating and terrifying in its own right.” However, he continued by reminding readers that “our film doesn’t have queer themes”: “Our film doesn’t actually ever mention my transness, or my queerness.
I am a trans actor who happened to get the role. I’m not a theme. I’m a person.” Terakes called Kuwait’s banning of the film “targeted and dehumanising,” sending support to the “queer and trans people of Kuwait.” They concluded by urging people to donate to Rainbow Railroad, “an organisation that helps queer and trans people access safety and lives free from persecution worldwide.” Kuwait has recently come under international criticism for similar actions Talk to Me is not the only film to face censorship in the country recently.
Box office smash Barbie has faced a delayed release in the country, now currently scheduled to come out on 31 August. Additionally, an LGBTQ+ scene in last year’s blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was cut in Kuwait’s screenings of the film.
