An Oklahoma movie theater has come under fire after putting up a warning sign to let viewers know about the same-sex kissing scene in Pixar's latest animated film Lightyear.
According to a report by NBC News, the sign was spotted over the weekend in the 89er Theatre in Kingfisher, Oklahoma - a small town of around 5,000 people.
"Attention Parents: The management of this theater discovered after booking 'Lightyear' that there is a same-sex kissing scene within the first 30 minutes of the Pixar movie," it read.
"We will do all we can to fast-forward through that scene, but it might not be exact."
Unsurprisingly, the sign sparked outrage from social media users, locals, and LGBTQ+ advocates. Oklahoma resident Patricia Kasbek - who first shared the notice to social media - told NBC News that she initially thought it was a joke, then called the movie theater to complain when she realized it was real.
"I told them that it was completely insulting for them to censor a same-gender kiss when they’ve never done this to an opposite-gender kiss," Kasbek said, adding: "I will never see a movie at this theater while under this ownership."
Deputy director of LGBTQ advocacy organization Oklahomans for Equality Alex Wade also criticized the theater. "I am not shocked to see something like this happening in my state, but it does break my heart that young LGBTQ+ Oklahomans are made to feel like something is wrong with them," he said.
"This is why we develop chapters in rural Oklahoma to show everyone that there are people in their corner," Wade added.
NBC affiliate KFOR of Oklahoma City reported that, by Monday afternoon, the sign had been taken down.
Speaking to CNN, one of the theater's co-owners, Barry Reid, said: "It was an internal mistake and it's been corrected.
"It won't happen again."
Lightyear fills in the backstory of one of Disney Pixar's most beloved animated characters, Toy Story space ranger Buzz Lightyear. The brief on-screen kiss between Buzz's friend and her female partner has been the source of huge controversy around the world, with many countries (including Egypt, Arabia, and the UAE) refusing to distribute the film because of it.
Star Chris Evans - who voices Buzz in the movie - spoke to frankly to Reuters Television about the controversy, saying: "The real truth is those people are idiots."
"There's always going to be people who are afraid and unaware and trying to hold on to what was before, but those people die off like dinosaurs," he continued. "I think the goal is to pay them no mind, march forward and embrace the growth that makes us human"
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