Onward marches onwards everywhere in the world this weekend, except in a few select Middle East countries who have chosen to ban the film due to a lesbian reference. The Disney/Pixar movie is the biggest release in the world this weekend and will likely dominate the box office; it's already taken in $2 million in North America from Thursday night previews alone. A history of anti-LGBTQ sentiment in some Middle East countries, however, will force it out of some theaters.
The central narrative of the movie has nothing to do with an LGBTQ storyline. Instead, it tells the story of two elf brothers on a magical quest to resurrect their dead father for 24 hours so they can meet him. In their travels, they meet a purple cyclops police officer named Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe. During this interaction, Specter refers to her "girlfriend's daughter," implying that she's a lesbian - that's where the ban comes into play.
Variety reports the film has currently been banned in four Middle East countries: Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Onward was also censored in Russia, which replaced the word "girlfriend" with "partner," nullifying the LGBTQI-positive message of the original dialogue. Ironically, stars Chris Pratt and Tom Holland (who play the brothers) declared they were "in love" during a promotional interview for the movie.
While the significance of the line in the movie is muted, the importance of the character in the Disney/Pixar lineage can not be overstated. For a studio that tries to open doors as often as possible, Specter marks the inclusion of an openly LGBTQ character for the first time in a Disney/Pixar film. The addition of Specter has been met with resistance within America's borders as well, with One Million Moms protesting against the movie. Regardless, Specter signals Disney may be ready to include more prominent LGBTQ characters in the future and is an important victory for inclusion and representation overall.
This is not the first time at least one Middle East country has edited or banned a film due to a lesbian reference. Recently, the United Arab Emirates edited out the first same-sex kiss in Star Wars history, a historical moment that was barely discernible to people who watched the movie without the knowledge the kiss was coming in the first place. Editing movies like Onward to eliminate these references may be relevant to those in charge in select countries, but they hurt a filmmaker's final vision and obscure positive messages for the marginalized affected.
Source: Variety