China censors Bohemian Rhapsody by cutting LGBT references including scenes of Freddie Mercury kissing other men and the word ‘gay’

• Biopic of British rock band Queen Bohemian Rhapsody opened in China Friday
• Six scenes with LGBT content have been cut from the award-winning film
• All mentions of Freddie Mercury’s sexuality and his later AIDS diagnosis were cut
• The modified film left many viewers in China ‘confused,’ reports say 

• e-mail

2

View
comments

Six scenes with LGBT content have been cut from the biopic of British rock band Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, for its release in China, including scenes of two men kissing and the word ‘gay’.  

The award-winning film, which opened in China last Friday, portrays the life of lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS-related complications at the age of 45 in 1991.

Around four-minutes’ worth of footage, including all mentions of the Queen singer’s sexuality and his later AIDS diagnosis have been removed. Scenes of drug use have also been censored from the more than two-hour film. 

Six scenes with LGBT content have been cut from British rock band Queen’s biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, for its release in China, including scenes of two men kissing and the word ‘gay’

A scene showing a kiss between Freddie Mercury and his boyfriend, Paul Prenter, who was his manager from 1977 to 1986, was cut from the Chinese version of the film

• Charles and Camilla become the first British royals to visit… Chinese driver who couldn’t read a stop sign blames his GPS… Planning expert wants Australia’s population to DOUBLE to… US Navy and Coast Guard ships pass through the strategic…

Share this article

Homosexuality is not illegal in China and the authorities removed it from the official list of mental disorders in 2001.

In 2016, China banned the portrayal of ‘abnormal sexual behaviour,’ including gay and lesbian relationships in TV and online shows.

One of the scenes removed was when Mercury, played by Rami Malek, comes out as bisexual to his girlfriend Mary Austin, who answers him by saying, ‘No Freddie, you’re gay’, according to ABC.  

According to the report, many viewers in China were left confused as the scenes in the film ‘didn’t make any sense at all.’

According to the report, many viewers in China were left confused as the scenes in the censored film ‘didn’t make any sense at all’. Above, Rami Melek plays Mercury in the movie

The biggest cut among the six is towards the end of the film, when Mercury dresses up in women’s clothing to shoot the legendary music video for ‘I Want to Break Free’

One user commented on Chinese microblogging site Weibo that the modified film was a ‘discrimination against gay people.’ 

A scene showing Mercury holding a mic stand near his groin was also removed. Interactions including a passionate kiss with the singer’s long-term partner Jim Hutton were also gone. 

The biggest cut among the six is towards the end of the film, when Mercury dresses up in women’s clothing to shoot the legendary music video for ‘I Want to Break Free.’ The entire sequence is cut in the Chinese version.

Scenes that still made the final version include Mercury coming out to his parents by holding the hand of his partner Hutton. 

One user said on Weibo that the modified film was a ‘discrimination against gay people’

Mango TV also censored the acceptance speech by Rami Malek when he mentioned ‘gay man’

While some members of the LGBT community have called the release of the film in China a win, others remained concerned that the decision to censor content about sexuality could limit understanding and awareness about the LGBT community, according to ABC. 

Chinese online streaming service Mango TV drew outcry last month after it censored Malek’s acceptance speech for best actor at the Oscars, replacing the phrase ‘gay man’ with ‘special group’ in its subtitles. 

This is not the first time for Mango TV to censor major Western entertainment shows. Last year the platform had its rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest revoked after it blurred out rainbow pride flags and removed a gay-themed performance. 

Source: Read Full Article