Star Wars gay kiss: Singapore reportedly cuts scene from The Rise of Skywalker
- Film contains a brief scene where two minor female characters share a kiss but the moment is omitted in the version screened in Singapore
- In Singapore, films containing LGBT themes or content as a subplot may be restricted to viewers aged 18 and above
The Rise of Skywalker , the conclusion to the nine Star Wars films that stars Daisy Ridley, was released in Singapore on Thursday.
The scene in Rise of Skywalker, the first same-sex kiss in the franchise’s history, was hailed as historic by some, but the fleeting moment between two peripheral characters was criticised as tokenism by fans hoping for greater LGBT representation.
A spokesperson from Singapore’s media regulatory agency told Yahoo and other local online media that a short scene had been cut from the release, but did not specify which one.
“Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker has been rated PG13 for theatrical release in Singapore,” the spokesperson said. “The applicant has omitted a brief scene which under the Film Classification Guidelines would require a higher rating.”
Under the guidelines, films containing LGBT themes or content as a subplot may be restricted to viewers aged 18 and above, while films focusing on homosexuality may be hit with a 21-and-over age rating.
Although open support for gay rights has grown in recent years, official attitudes towards homosexuality are often highly conservative in Singapore.