Lightyear, Disney/Pixar's latest Toy Story movie for children was banned in 14 countries throughout Asia and the Middle East as a result of its homosexual content..The movie is a prequel to the Toy Story movie series and explores the backstory of the series' main character, Buzz Lightyear..A source told Reuters on Monday it's also unlikely to be screened in China — the world's largest cinema audience. It wouldn't be the first time China banned homosexual content in the movies..The countries that have banned the movie, citing its inappropriate scenes, include Saudia Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates..A Lightyear film producer, Galyn Susman, told Reuters government authorities in China had requested edits be made to the movie — Disney refused. The producer concluded the movie will probably not open there, either..Susman said Disney was still waiting for Chinese regulators to confirm whether the movie was cleared for distribution in China.."We're not going to cut out anything, especially something as important as the loving and inspirational relationship that shows Buzz what he's missing by the choices that he's making, so that's not getting cut," Susman said at the film's premiere in London in the UK..In Lightyear, the main character voiced by Chris Evans has a best friend called Alisha Hawthorne, who is lesbian, voiced by Uzo Aduba. Hawthorne is married, and one scene depicts a kiss between her and her wife..American media commentator Ben Shapiro shared a tweet on Tuesday warning parents of the movie's queer content and advising them they might want to check it out before taking their children to see it.."Disney works to push a 'not-at-all-secret gay agenda' and seeks to add 'queerness' to its programming, according to executive producer Latoya Raveneau. Parents should keep that in mind before deciding whether to take their kids to see 'Lightyear,' which hits theaters this week," Shapiro said.."Children are not adults. What may be appropriate for adults is not appropriate for children. That this must be said demonstrates that our society is in a state of moral collapse," Shapiro said in response to his own tweet..Another Twitter user offered an alternative stance supporting the Disney queer narrative.."Gay agenda? The family structure has changed we shouldn't be shielding our children from it. We should celebrate loving patents [sic], as a quasi conservative I'm disgusted by this tweet. Love isn't political," said WildWhit..The animation in the classic children's series shows two women kissing and prompted the United Arab Emirates to prohibit distribution of the film..The UAE Media Regulatory Office tweeted Monday giving its reasons for the country's ban on the film..Authorities stated the movie lacks the license “for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards.”.In May, Disney refused requests to cut same-sex references in the Marvel movie, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness..Evans complained that the same-sex kiss in the movie was even an issue.."It's tough to not be a little frustrated that it even has to be a topic of discussion — that it is this kind of 'news.' The goal is that we can get to a point where it is the norm, and that this doesn't have to be some uncharted waters, that eventually this is just the way it is," Evans told Variety on Monday..Disney will release the PG movie, which chronicles the adventures of space cadet Buzz Lightyear, in Canada later this week.
