The UAE, many other countries in the wider Mideast, is a Muslim-led nation that criminalizes same-sex relationships.

The movie, with actor Chris Evans voicing the inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear action figure from the “Toy Story” films, includes a female character voiced by actress Uzo Aduba kissing her female partner.

They described showing a lesbian couple on screen as being against their culture and religion. But over the weekend, a social media campaign with the Arabic hashtag “Ban Showing Lightyear in the Emirates,” caught the attention of conservative Emiratis. Movie theaters in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, had already advertised showtimes for the film. The tweet included an image of the film's poster, with the profile image of its main character Buzz Lightyear with a “no” symbol over it in red. The office did not elaborate on the tweet and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. “The office confirms that all films screened in cinemas across the country are subject to follow-up and evaluation before the date of screening to the public, to ensure the safety of the circulated content according to the appropriate age classification.” The film “is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards,” the office said in a tweet.