(The author is a marketing professional working in Dubai. Their name has been concealed to protect their identity. The following is an as-told-to account, recorded and written by Rohini Roy.)
Disney Pixar’s animated movie Lightyear will soon hit theatres across the world, but not in the United Arab Emirates and a dozen other Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Reason? It includes a same-sex kiss.
The film would have been a perfect stepping stone for representation of same-sex relationships in Dubai’s big screens. It would have been a great start to normalise such relationships for children. Instead, the portrayal of a same-sex relationship, and a brief kiss between two characters, is most likely to have pushed the government to ban the animated film.
As a 38-year-old gay man living in Dubai, I am not only sad but also confused by the UAE’s decision to keep Lightyear from the movie hall. A city that prides itself to be the ‘most-technologically savvy’ and ‘modern’ cannot tolerate two women kissing on screen? But again, this is hardly surprising – and let me tell you why.