A brief lesbian kiss from the end of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” has been cut from the release of the film in Singapore to avoid receiving a higher age rating on the film from the country’s censors.
Singapore’s media regulatory board, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), told TheWrap via a statement that Disney specifically removed the clip so that the film could open with a PG-13 rating, meaning that parental guidance is advised for children under age 13.
“The applicant has omitted a brief scene which under the film classification guidelines would require a higher rating,” a spokesperson from IMDA said.
Disney did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Same-sex marriage remains illegal in Singapore, and sex between two men even carries a penalty of up to two years in jail. The Guardian also notes that Singapore’s censorship guidelines say that only people 18 and over can see films that contain LGBT content or subplots, and films specifically about homosexuality may be restricted to those 21 and over.
THR reported earlier in the week that, according to multiple viewers in Dubai, the same moment was cut from the version screening in the United Arab Emirates. However, THR says the scene remains intact for Chinese audiences.
The scene in “The Rise of Skywalker” is a split second shot of two women kissing during a celebratory moment at the end of the film, and it’s been heralded by some as a breakthrough image while others have considered it a token inclusion for LGBT audiences.