Discourse continues online about Lightyear ban

THE recent news of the banning of Disney’s Lightyear from Malaysian cinemas has upset fans who have been waiting for the movie.

Earlier this week, an unofficial source stated that the upcoming Pixar animated feature will not be playing in Malaysian cinemas despite originally slated to open in Malaysia on June 16.

Even though there has been no official announcement from the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia, it is likely because of a scene that features a kiss between a same-sex couple, which is also why Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Middle Eastern countries have not granted the film a release either.

However, local cinema chain GSC was among the first to acknowledge the news, and even made a meme based on it.

In March, Pixar came under fire for cutting the scene from the movie, but it was restored after backlash from its own employees.

Even though the movie won’t be released in Malaysian theatres, it is still expected to show up eventually on Disney+ Hotstar.

Some netizens said that “it’s pointless” to ban the film as it’s just a matter of time before the children are exposed to LGBTQ issues in real life. Meanwhile, other netizens chimed in and said that it was a “bad move” on Disney’s part to include such elements in an “animation targeted at children”.

Some also questioned why Marvel films such as Dr Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals were allowed to play here, since both movies also have LGBTQ elements in them.