"Onward" is the first Disney film to feature a public gay character. Disney/Pixar's new animated film, Onward, has been...
"Onward" is the first Disney film to feature a public gay character. Disney/Pixar's new animated film, Onward, has been banned in many Middle East markets such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia due to the mention of gay relationships.In the movie, two teenage goblins in a mythical world embark on a search for a magic stone. Due to speeding, they were arrested by two police officers. Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) must disguise themselves as boyfriends of the Bronco officer and talk to two policemen.
A purple-haired policeman named Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe, praised Bronco officer: "It's not easy to be a step-parent. My girlfriend's child is also pulling my hair, okay?" ". Specter's character is considered to be Disney's first openly gay. Because of this character, some countries in the Middle East, which are still heavily biased towards LGBT and always ban gay people from appearing on screen, have rejected Onward.
But in return, Onward is still screened in Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt. In Russia, the dub version changed from "girlfriend" to "lover" to not specifically address Specter's sexual orientation. Prior to that, Disney's Beauty and the Beast was also banned in Kuwait and Malysia due to unconfirmed gay character.
