United Arab Emirates bans Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ for scenes displaying homosexuality

By Associated Press

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates on Monday banned the upcoming Pixar animated characteristic “Lightyear” from displaying in film theatres amid studies that the movie features a kiss between two feminine characters.

The Emirates, house to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, introduced by means of its Media Regulatory Office of the nation’s Ministry of Youth and Culture that the movie wouldn’t be opening within the nation this Thursday.

The movie “is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards,” the workplace mentioned in a tweet. “The office confirms that all films screened in cinemas across the country are subject to follow-up and evaluation before the date of screening to the public, to ensure the safety of the circulated content according to the appropriate age classification.”

The workplace didn’t elaborate on the tweet and didn’t instantly reply to questions from The Associated Press. The tweet included a picture of the movie’s poster, with the profile picture of its principal character Buzz Lightyear with a “no” image over it in crimson. Movie theatres within the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, had already marketed showtimes for the movie.

The workplace confirms that each one movies screened in cinemas throughout the nation are topic to follow-up and analysis earlier than the date of screening to the general public, to make sure the security of the circulated content material in response to the suitable age classification.

— مكتب تنظيم الإعلام (@uaemro) June 13, 2022

The film, with actor Chris Evans voicing the inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear motion determine from the “Toy Story” movies, reportedly features a character voiced by actress Uzo Aduba kissing one other girl with whom she’s in a relationship.

The UAE, like a lot of the broader Mideast, is a Muslim-led nation that criminalizes same-sex relationships. The U.S. State Department warns that Islamic, or Shariah, regulation can embrace the loss of life penalty for same-sex conduct, whereas Dubai can levy a 10-year jail sentence and Abu Dhabi permits for as much as 14 years.

However, such prosecutions are not often reported and LGBTQ people do stay within the skyscraper-studded city-state of Dubai, house to the long-haul service Emirates.

The $200 million “Lightyear” is predicted to be a serious draw for Disney, with analysts estimating it may gross over $100 million in its first weekend.