Same-sex kiss scene cut from Star Wars film released in Singapore

Singapore — A brief kiss between two women in the latest Star Wars movie has been cut by Disney from the version released in Singapore.

The ninth Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker, was released in the country on Thursday.

Yahoo Lifestyle SEA reported that the film included a brief scene where two minor female characters share a kiss but the scene is omitted in the version screened in Singapore.

The media outlet reported last Friday that the women were seen embracing but not kissing.

The short scene had been cut from the release, but it was not specified which one, according to a spokesperson from Singapore’s media regulatory agency who informed Yahoo and other local media online.

The spokesperson also said the film had been rated PG13 for theatrical release in Singapore.

According to the spokesperson, the Film Classification Guidelines would require a higher rating with the brief scene that was omitted.

When contacted, the agency did not immediately respond.

Films containing LGBT themes or content as a subplot may be restricted to viewers aged 18 and above according to guidelines.

A 21-and-over age rating is required for films focusing on homosexuality.

Official attitudes towards homosexuality are often highly conservative in Singapore although open support for gay rights has grown in recent years.

It is illegal for sex between men under a colonial-era law, although it is not actively enforced.

The same-sex kiss in The Rise of Skywalker is first in the Star Wars franchise history and was hailed as historic by some. It has, however, been criticised as tokenism by fans hoping for greater LGBT representation.

Disney could not be reached for a comment. Lucasfilm, the studio that produces the Star Wars films, is owned by Disney.