It’s 2022 and for some reason people are still mad over the representation of same-sex relationships in the media. Pixar’s Lightyear hit theaters last weekend — and it’s bringing out the worst in some folks!
As you probably know, Disney has a long history of controversy surrounding its lack of LGBTQ+ representation. They’ve snuck in tiny glimpses here and there of same-sex couples, such as the alleged lesbian couples fans spotted in Finding Dory and Toy Story 4, and in 2017 they teased an “exclusively gay moment” that ended up being a SHORT shot of Josh Gad’s character in Beauty and the Beast dancing with another man right before the credits rolled. Sigh.
Sadly, everyone’s favorite mouse has walked a fine line with gay representation for a long time! So much so, fans have often been left feeling disappointed and underrepresented with the company’s light footwork.
Shortly after the announcement of their newest Pixar flick however, the mass media entertainment company revealed Lightyear would feature a same-sex kiss — a huge step in the right direction. Of course, it was met with TONS of unjust backlash, and at one point Disney even announced they cut the scene altogether — much to the disappointment of fans who looked forward to the representation they’d been waiting on for so long!
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In March, Florida passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which took the state in a scary direction for LGBTQ+ rights. Home to Walt Disney World, fans and employees alike quickly took notice of the company’s lack of response to the law which forbids schools from “discussing or promoting topics surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity”. Following a major social media scandal and a HUGE staff walkout, Disney released a statement in support of the LGBTQ+ community. They also decided to reinstate the same-sex kiss scene, opting to take the financial loss — better late than never, we guess?
Unfortunately, when the kiss scene was brought back, so was the negative attention. People all over the country expressed their bitterness online — and one Oklahoma theater brought their ridiculousness to the ticketbooth! The 89er Theatre posted a sign on the front door of their business that read:
“WARNING. Attention Parents: The management of this theatre discovered after booking “Lightyear” that there is a same-sex kissing scene within the first 30 minutes of the Pixar movie.”
Really?! A warning to parents over a happy same-sex couple?! WTF!
The business’s sign then went on to add the promise that they would “fast forward” the scene and apologized for any “inconveniences”:
“We will do all we can to fast-forward through that scene, but it might not be exact. We apologize for any inconvenience this late discovery of this scene causes.”
This is the most absurd thing ever! The owner of 89er Theatre is reportedly refusing to speak on camera to anyone (shocker!) but told KOCO 5 News that they removed the sign and insists they “never actually fast forwarded through any showing of the movie.” Hmm…
Look, the fact this sign was made in the first place is unbelievable! If this business owner never faced any backlash, would they have removed the sign? Or would they just continue along with its blatant homophobia?
Alex Wade, the deputy director of Oklahomans for Equality, told NBC News that he was “not shocked to see something like this happening” in the state:
“When same-sex couples show affection, even the most chaste of kisses, it is sexualized and treated as if it were explicit. If this were a heterosexual couple, the theater would never even think of skipping it, because heterosexual couples are given the grace to be intimate without being shamed.”
How infuriating that things like this are still happening! See the full report on this outrageous story (below):
[Image via YouTube/Pixar/KOCO 5 News]
The post WTF?? Oklahoma Theater Warns Audience It Will ‘Fast-Forward’ Through <i>Lightyear</i>'s Same-Sex Kiss! appeared first on Perez Hilton.