Hollywood blockbuster Barbie has been banned in Kuwait and Lebanon over its theme on gender and sexuality.
Kuwait announced its ban late on 10th August, saying that the film promoted “ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order”. It did not elaborate further.
In Lebanon, culture minister Mohammad Mortada said that the film was found to “contradict values of faith and morality” and “promote homosexuality and sexual transformation”.
In some parts of the Arab world, members of the LGBTQ+ community have been arrested and sentenced to prison. In Iraq, regulators have banned even the media from using the word ‘homosexuality’, instead ordering the use of such terms as ‘sexual deviance’. Barbie does not include any overt sexuality but the cast includes Kate McKinnon, who is gay, and Hari Nef, who is transgender. In the film, Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, sometimes behaves in a feminine manner.