Find Out Why Queen Fans In China Are Upset

Queen fans in China are angry that the version of Bohemian Rhapsody they are seeing has been heavily censored to erase Freddie Mercury’s bisexuality. “The cut scenes really affect the movie,” Chinese LGBTQ rights activist Peng Yanzi tells Billboard. “The film talks about how (Mercury) became himself, and his sexuality is an important part of becoming who he was.” Scenes that have been deleted from the Chinese version include one in which Mercury reveals to his then-wife that he is not heterosexual.

Also, in the part of the film where Mercury tells the band he has AIDS, the dialogue goes silent. “It’s a bit disrespectful to his real experience and makes the character superficial,” adds Hua Zile, the chief editor of of the VCLGBT social media account. “There is no growth and innermost being of him.”