Kuwait bans 'Barbie' over 'public ethics' concerns
Gulf Arab states including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia -- all of which outlaw homosexuality -- routinely censor films that contain LGBTQ references. Greta Gerwig arrives at the premiere of 'Barbie' on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, in London. KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait has barred hit film “Barbie” from cinemas over concerns about “public ethics”, officials have said, also confirming a separate ban on a horror movie featuring a transgender actor. “Barbie” and “Talk to Me” both “promulgate ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order”, Lafy Al-Subei’e, head of Kuwait’s cinema censorship committee, told the official KUNA news agency. While deciding on any foreign movie, the committee usually orders “censoring of the scenes that run counter to public ethics”, Subei’e was quoted as saying late on Wednesday. “But (if) a film carries alien concepts, message or unacceptable behaviour, the committee decides to bar the stuff in question as a whole...