Kuwait and Lebanon to ban Barbie over gender and sexuality
Barbie was set to cruise into the Middle East in her pink convertible this week, but the doll's hit some roadblocks en route to Kuwait and Lebanon.
Kuwait announced that Barbie has been banned late Wednesday, stating that the summer blockbuster from director Greta Gerwig promotes "ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order," without further elaboration, per the Associated Press.
Authorities in Lebanon have also moved to ban the film after delaying its release to late August. Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said it contradicts "moral and religious values as well as the principles of Lebanon" and "promotes homosexuality and sexual transformation." The movie also "promotes sexual deviance and transsexuality," the minister said.
Warner Bros. Pictures Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in 'Barbie'
The bans come amid heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric by politicians and officials in the country and surrounding regions in the Middle East, many of which consider homosexuality sinful. Hassan Nasrallah, leader of political party and militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, appeared to call for anti-gay violence last month, calling the LGBTQ+ community a "threat to society" and inciting harassment and death threats against the community.
Led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Barbie does not feature any overt sexuality, though the star-studded cast includes folks from the LGBTQ+ community, including Kate McKinnon, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, and Scott Evans. The film recently crossed the $1 billion mark at the box office, making Gerwig the first solo female director to race past the threshold.
Another summer blockbuster, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was similarly pulled from theaters across the Middle East last month, reportedly over a scene that included a poster featuring the transgender flag in the background.
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