Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ Won’t Be Shown in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait Over Same-Sex Kiss

Lightyear, the latest animated feature from Pixar, and a spinoff of the “Toy Story” series of films, will not be screened in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, or Kuwait. That is because of a scene that includes a same-sex kiss, according to Variety. In the scene, a new space ranger – who is a lesbian – greets her partner with a kiss on the lips, the report said. The scene had originally been cut from the film by Pixar’s parent company, Disney. It was reinstated after the film’s animators spoke out against the cut, saying that Disney was censoring gay affection. The UAE’s Media Regulatory Office of the country’s Youth and Culture Ministry announced on Monday that the film would not open as scheduled on Thursday, even though some cinemas had already advertised that they would screen the film and promoted showtimes. The film was never submitted to censors in Saudi Arabia, knowing that it would not pass, Variety reported. Same-sex conduct is punishable by significant prison terms in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s major cities.