QUEEN - Chinese Sensors Cut More Than Two Minutes Of LGBTQ Content From Bohemian Rhapsody Film
March 25, 2019, 5 years ago
More than two minutes of LGBTQ content have been scrubbed from the biopic of British rock band Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, for the Chinese audience, including scenes of two men kissing and the word "gay", reports CNN.
The award-winning film, which opened in China on March 22, portrays the life and career of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, an LGBTQ icon who died of AIDS-related illnesses at the age of 45.
In 2016, Chinese censors banned the portrayal of "abnormal sexual behavior," including gay and lesbian relationships in TV and online shows.
Consequently, some members of the LGBTQ community have called the release of Bohemian Rhapsody in China a victory for their community, particularly considering that only a limited number of Western films are screened in the country each year.
But Chinese documentary filmmaker and LGBTQ activist Fan Popo said it was "dangerous" to view the release of the film, which has has grossed $890 million at the global box office, as a win.
"If everyone becomes content with this kind of 'victory,' then the whole world will always submit to authority, creators won't be respected and there will be no protection for the interests of the audience," he said.
Find out which six LGBTQ moments from the film have been censored for the world's second largest movie market, at CNN.
