Lebanon minister calls for banning of 'Barbie' movie
The Hezbollah-backed politician accused the film of promoting homosexuality, among other things, amid rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the region. "Barbie" is scheduled to be released in the Gulf this week.
A Lebanese minister on Wednesday railed against the “Barbie” movie, accusing the film of promoting homosexuality, denigrating men's and women’s roles in society, and calling for it to be banned.
Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said the film “promotes homosexuality and sexual transformation.” He also criticized its depiction of gender roles, saying it “challenges the guidance of the father, reduces the role of the mother and mocks it, and questions the necessity of marriage and having a family,” the official National News Agency reported.
Mortada called on Lebanese General Security to prohibit the film from being screened in Lebanon, according to the agency.
Mortada is an ally of the Shiite Islamist organization Hezbollah. The Interior Ministry, which oversees Lebanese General Security, did not immediately comment on his remarks, according to Reuters.
