The whole world has Wicked fever since the massively successful release of the movie adaption for the beloved musical. The whole world except for Kuwait, which had removed the movie from theaters over fears that its main characters were gay.
Elphaba and Glinda, portrayed by actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, have spectacular chemistry and more than one subtext-laden song that can be read in a sapphic context. Legions of fans have spent years discussing the subtext, so it’s not a completely far-fetched conclusion to draw. Movie posters show the pink and green duo holding hands.
Except in the actual movie, it’s quite clear that both women have a thing for Fiyero, the charming Winkie prince played by the dashing Jonathan Bailey. (Although maybe we shouldn’t let Kuwait know Cynthia Erivo is bisexual, or that Jonathan Bailey is gay, or…) Subtext aside, this is a movie clearly about the deep platonic friendship between its two female leads. Did the Kuwaiti film board even watch the film? All signs point to “no.”
In recent years, Kuwait has become very strict when it comes to film censorship, even going so far as banning Barbie because it was “promoting homosexuality”. Wicked looked set to become the latest casualty in Kuwait’s anti-gay crusade, but the film is apparently quietly back in theaters after a brief absence.
This is great news for Wicked fans in Kuwait. It’s good news for LGBT+ people in the country — and the world — as well. It can be hard to believe for people who see good, positive representation everywhere, but representation matters. Seeing a part of yourself represented on the big screen, not as a villain or an object of ridicule, but as a hero — that’s priceless.
As a young gay kid in the 90s in the U.K., I lived the first third of my life under a regime of anti-gay laws referred to as Section 28. In brief, the rules meant that local authorities — a tier of local government responsible for schools among other things — were not allowed to “promote” homosexuality. The rules meant nothing positive about gay people could be said in schools by staff. There were of course no restrictions on negative comments.
These rules were not the cause of anti-gay prejudice, but a symptom. Representation in the media was limited to a small range of “safe” gay people: comedians whose sexuality was the joke, sexually ambiguous musicians, and of course, villainous characters laden with negative stereotypes used as a cautionary tale. Nobody who would challenge the narrative too much.
Ironically, Section 28 pushed many gay people out of the closet to fight against the laws, including some high profile individuals, like world-famous actor Ian McKellen, and actually increased the profile of gay people in society. Increased visibility — representation — changed attitudes, and in 2003, Section 28 was repealed.
These stories are not unique to the U.K. Across the world, similar things have happened and are happening, with LGBT+ communities standing up for ourselves to challenge unfair and discriminatory laws. This is an international fight, and it’s not over. Russia has criminalized the “international LGBT movement” on top of far-reaching draconian laws within the country. In the USA, anti-trans bills are being signed into law and politicians openly call for the criminalization of gay marriage.
It’s great the Wicked is screening after all, but it’s a bittersweet victory, as it’s likely the movie was only allowed because it “wasn’t gay” after all. When Kuwait or anywhere else bans a movie for being too gay, it’s not about the movie — it’s about the people.
The issue of representation is not petty. It is not worthless. It gives hope to people, young and old alike, that there is a better way. That they are normal. That we are normal. That our lives are worth living. Representation fights ignorance, as people can see others not as stereotypes but as individuals.