Current:Home > NewsLebanon, Kuwait attempt to ban 'Barbie' for 'homosexuality,' gender themes -VitalWealth Strategies
Lebanon, Kuwait attempt to ban 'Barbie' for 'homosexuality,' gender themes
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-04-11 11:23:47
DUBAI — “Barbie” is set to open across the Middle East on Thursday, but moves by Kuwait and Lebanon to ban the film over its themes on gender and sexuality have raised questions over how widely it will be released.
Kuwait announced its ban late Wednesday, saying the film promotes “ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order,” without elaborating, according to a statement published by the state-run KUNA news agency.
In Lebanon, Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said the film was found to “contradict values of faith and morality” and “promote homosexuality and sexual transformation.” His request to ban the film was forwarded to Lebanon’s General Security agency, which falls under the Interior Ministry and traditionally handles censorship decisions, to make the final verdict.
The move has already sparked an uproar in Lebanon, which has long been an island of relative tolerance for homosexuality. Across the Middle East, many Muslims, Christians and Jews consider homosexuality to be sinful. In some parts of the Arab world, members of the LGBTQ+ community have been arrested and sentenced to prison. In Iraq, regulators have even banned media from using the word “homosexuality,” instead ordering outlets to refer to it as “sexual deviance.”
The film does not include any overt sexuality, but the all-star cast includes Kate McKinnon, who is gay, and Hari Nef, who is transgender. Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, also sometimes behaves in a feminine manner that would be controversial in much of the Middle East.
Many in the LGBTQ+ community have embraced the film, even as some have criticized it as pushing a heteronormative narrative.
The Warner Bros. movie about the iconic dolls has grossed over $1 billion in less than a month since opening in other markets. The film — led and produced by Margot Robbie, directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig — crossed $400 million domestic and $500 million internationally faster than any other movie at the studio, including the "Harry Potter" films.
It is set to open in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on Thursday evening.
Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have invested billions of dollars in sports, entertainment and tourism in recent years. But like much of the rest of the Middle East, they criminalize homosexuality and view LGBTQ+ advocacy as a threat to their societies that must be quashed.
America Ferrera's 'Barbie' speech:This moment said what all women are thinking and quickly went viral
The film’s release in the region was initially planned for Aug. 31 but was recently brought forward, indicating that any censorship issues had been resolved. Films are often delayed for release in the region to allow time for production companies to censor them or for committees to review them.
Warner Bros. did not respond to requests for comments about whether or not the movie was censored for release in the region.
'Barbie':Is the movie appropriate for kids? Here's what parents should know
veryGood! (717)
Related
- Illinois Gov. Pritzker calls for sheriff to resign after Sonya Massey shooting
- Kristen Bell Reveals Husband Dax Shephard's Reaction to Seeing This Celebrity On her Teen Bedroom Wall
- Federal officials have increased staff in recent months at NY jail where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is held
- Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's Daughter Daisy Seemingly Makes Singing Debut in Song Wonder
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Best used cars under $10,000: Sedans for car shoppers on a budget
- Norway’s Plan for Seabed Mining Threatens Arctic Marine Life, Greenpeace Says
- Federal judge temporarily blocks Tennessee’s ‘abortion trafficking’ law
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- North Carolina’s governor vetoes private school vouchers and immigration enforcement orders
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- The head of Boeing’s defense and space business is out as company tries to fix troubled contracts
- Youngest NFL players: Jets RB Braelon Allen tops list for 2024
- Newly Blonde Kendall Jenner Reacts to Emma Chamberlain's Platinum Hair Transformation
- Tropical rains flood homes in an inland Georgia neighborhood for the second time since 2016
- Patriots coach Jerod Mayo backs Jacoby Brissett as starting quarterback
- A Nevada Lithium Mine Nears Approval, Despite Threatening the Only Habitat of an Endangered Wildflower
- Police chase in NYC, Long Island ends with driver dead and 7 officers, civilian taken to hospitals
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
Ford recalls over 144,000 Mavericks for rearview camera freeze
South Carolina to execute Freddie Owens despite questions over guilt. What to know
Martha Stewart says 'unfriendly' Ina Garten stopped talking to her when she went to prison
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Cheryl Burke Offers Advice to Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev Amid Divorce
Caitlin Clark rewrites WNBA record book: Inside look at rookie's amazing season
Actor Ross McCall Shares Update on Relationship With Pat Sajack’s Daughter Maggie Sajak