If you were waiting to hear whether or not J.J. decided to include something on the LGBT spectrum like he said he was going to, he did. At the end of the film there is indeed a kiss between two women. One of them being Carrie Fishers daughter Billie Lourd. But that kiss is now being censored in the Middle East and we’re wondering when it got cut. If Disney sent it to them like that or if they took the liberty to edit it out themselves.
According to THR:
According to several people speaking to The Hollywood Reporter who have seen the latest Star Wars at cinemas in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, where it opened on Thursday, the scene featuring the kiss had been removed from their screening. THR has reached out to Disney representatives and the regional distributor of Disney titles.
Given that the United Arab Emirates is largely more tolerant than its neighbors when it comes to film censorship and Dubai’s status as the regional hub for the entertainment industry, it is thought that this cut will be replicated across the Middle East.
It was not only the first gay kiss in Star Wars but the first gay kiss in any big Disney film. It’s doubtful they will continue with this path if they are already censoring it in other countries but it was a nice nod to the LGBT in the audience. Also for those of you worried about whether or not it’s noticeable enough for young children to see, it’s not. It’s literally a background scene with many others onscreen at the time. So if you don’t know what to look for you may even miss it. It’s very innocent.
