Lightyear: UAE, Malaysia, Others Ban Pixar Movie Over Kiss Between Lesbian Characters

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar on Monday banned Disney-Pixar’s animated feature film Lightyear from screening in cinemas because it features characters in a same-sex relationship.

The film would not be licensed for screening in the UAE’s as it violated the nation’s media content standard, the Ministry of Youth and Culture’s media regulatory office wrote on Twitter.

UAE’s decision to ban Lightyear feels particularly egregious as it comes amidst the international celebration of the LGBTQ+ community during the ongoing Pride month.

Media Regulatory Office Executive Director Rashid Khalfan Al Nuaimi later told Reuters the film was banned because of the inclusion of “homosexual” characters in several scenes.

A Disney representative did not immediately respond to emailed Reuters questions on the ban, which drew praise from some on social media in the country.

Like many other Middle East nations, same-sex relationships are criminalised in the UAE, a Gulf country of about 10 million people where most of the population are foreigners.

Lightyear, which had been advertised by cinemas in the UAE for release on June 16, is centred around the Buzz Lightyear action figure character from the popular Toy Story franchise.

The film features Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz and Uzo Aduba as Alisha Hawthorne. Aduba’s character is in a relationship with another woman, whom she kisses in the film.

Ahead of Monday’s decision, an Arabic hashtag calling for the film not to be shown in the UAE was trending on Twitter.

Films featuring same-sex relationships have in the past been banned by regulators in Muslim-majority nations, while others with profanity or illicit drug use are sometimes censored.

The UAE’s media regulatory office in December had announced that international versions of films would be shown in the country.

© Thomson Reuters 2022


  • Release Date 17 June 2022
  • Language English
  • Genre Action, Adventure, Animation
  • Cast

    Chris Evans, Taika Waititi

  • Director

    Angus MacLane

  • Music Michael Giacchino
  • Producer

    Galyn Susman

  • Production

    Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios

  • Certificate 13+

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Apple Watch Pride Edition Tipped, Pride Edition Bands Launched Ahead of LGBTQ+ Month

Apple has officially announced two new Pride Edition bands for celebrating the global LGBTQ Pride month in June. Apple’s Pride Edition Bands are said to come with dynamic Pride watch faces in support of the LGBTQ+ community and the equality movement. The Pride Edition Sport Loop showcases a colour gradient with the word “Pride” woven directly into the band. The company is also launching a new Shot on iPhone pride campaign on Instagram that captures the essence of artists and figures within the global LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, a new tip suggests that an Apple Watch Pride Edition may also be launched soon.

Apple, every year, supports the LGBTQ+ rights and this year, the company has unveiled two Pride Edition bands. It unveiled the new Pride Edition Sport Loop and the Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop in relation to the celebration. In addition to this, Apple has also introduced the Pride Threads watch faces.

On the other hand, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, has claimed through a tweet that Apple is also going to launch a new Pride Edition Apple Watch soon. According to Gurman, marketing materials and updated Watch tables have reportedly arrived at retail stores for placement as early as next week.

Apple Pride Edition Sport Loop band

The Pride Edition Sport Loop band incorporates the original rainbow colours with those drawn from various pride flags, including light blue, pink, and white, representing transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, and black and brown, that symbolise Black and Latinx communities. The colours are also said to represent those who are living with or have passed away from HIV/AIDS. The company has also used a new technique to remove several double-layer nylon-woven textile loops on the band to reveal the word “Pride” in a cursive style.

Apple Pride Edition Sport Loop band price, availability

The Pride Edition Sport Loop band is priced at Rs.3,900 in India and $49 (roughly Rs.3,800) in the United States. The band is available to order from Apple’s official website, and it can also be purchased from the Apple Stores starting from May 26.

Apple Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop band

Apple claims that the new Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop band celebrates the full spectrum of the rainbow and features a matching rainbow-coloured Nike Bounce face that accompanies the band. The band comes with Nike’s Be True collection, which is part of Nike’s broader commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and focuses on recognition, advocacy, inspiration, and education. The Nike Sport Loop band is also said to honour individuals who are expanding sport for future generations and inspiring others to feel the joy of being authentically themselves.

Apple Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop band price, availability

The Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop band is available at Rs.3,900 in India and $49 (roughly Rs.3,800) in the United States. The band can be ordered online from Apple’s official website, and it will also be available to purchase from Nike’s official website soon.

These Pride Edition Sport Loop bands are claimed to be compatible with any Apple Watch. Other than this, these bands will also be available for the Apple Watch Series 7 and it should start arriving later this week, as per Gurman.

Moreover, Apple has also introduced the Pride Threads watch faces, as mentioned above. These watch faces are inspired by multiple pride flags and combine colours to represent the strength and mutual support of the LGBTQ+ movement. The company has also included a new App Clip functionality within the band packaging to deliver a simple and convenient way for customers to access the new matching Watch face immediately.

However, the Watch face is available in the Apple Watch Series 4 or later running iOS 8.6 and iPhone 6s or later running iOS 15.5.

Besides this, the Shot on iPhone pride campaign, introduced by Apple, showcases places of historic significance to the LBGTQ+ movement. The series is said to appear on Apple’s Instagram handle soon and will feature works from various photographers from across the globe.




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