Russia has made headlines in recent years for its draconian laws against LGBT people, recently hitting Beauty and the Beast with a high age rating due to a so-called "gay moment" in the film.
The Russian film censor hit that film with a 16+ rating, however it's now been confirmed that Power Rangers has been hit with an 18+ rating. Why? One of the central characters - the Yellow Power Ranger, played by Becky G - questions her sexuality in the film. The film's local distributor, WDSSPR, informed exhibitors in the country that the film was given the highest-possible rating owing to this fact.
Previously, anti-gay legislators had called for the film to be banned outright. One Russian politician, Alexei Zhuravlev, described Power Rangers as "gay propaganda" and was critical of Russia's film censor and Culture Ministry for allowing the film to be screened in the first place. Russia's anti-LGBT laws specifically prohibits what it calls "gay propaganda" being shown to minors, hence the higher rating compared to almost every other country where the film will be shown.
Saban Entertainment, Becky G and director Dean Israelite have so far made no comment on the issue.
Via THR
