Disney-Pixar’s latest animated escapade is about to hit our cinema screens. It’s the origin story of one of their most beloved characters – Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear. In the lead-up to its release, online speculation soared after it was confirmed that Lightyear would include the company’s first same-sex kiss. The film’s producer, Galyn Susman, stated that the female character Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, is in a “meaningful” relationship with another woman and a kiss occurs between them.
In response, several countries – including the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Egypt and Indonesia – recently announced they would be banning Lightyear from cinemas due to its “violation of their country’s media content standard” (in short, the inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes).
