19/09/2025 | Writer: Kaos GL
RTUK targeted LGBTQ+ representations on digital platforms; from Benedetta to All of Us Strangers, from Those About to Die to Looking: The Movie, many productions were penalized.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) has fined a number of LGBTQ+-themed films available on digital platforms.
According to CHP member of RTÜK, Tuncay Keser, who announced it on social media, the films “Cobalt Blue” on NETFLIX, “Those About to Die” on PRIME VIDEO, “Benedetta” on MUBI, “All Of Us Strangers” on DISNEY XD, and “Looking: The Movie” on HBO MAX were penalized on the grounds that they violated provisions in Article 8, Paragraph 1 of Law No. 6112: “f: Cannot be contrary to national and moral values of society, general morality, and the principle of protection of the family” and “n: Cannot be obscene.” A 3% administrative fine and removal from the catalog were imposed.
All the penalized films feature LGBTQ+ characters and same-sex love
It was noted that all the fined films included LGBTQ+ characters and depicted same-sex love.Cobalt Blue is an Indian drama about a man and a sister who fall in love with the same man. Those About to Die is a gladiator-themed series that also features queer relationships. Benedetta, among the penalized films, tells the story of a nun’s love for another woman. All Of Us Strangers, starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal, has already become part of queer classics with its themes of love between two men, loss, and mourning. Looking: The Movie is the sequel to the cult LGBTQ+ series Looking.
“RTÜK’s ‘Year of the Family’ fines on digital platforms…”
Keser criticized this homophobic censorship with the following words:“While daytime programs almost daily undermine the family institution for the sake of ratings, RTÜK’s claim of ‘protecting society’ through fictional productions with content labels, accessed by adults via paid, encrypted, and on-demand platforms, is a serious contradiction and double standard. It is clear that live broadcasts covering sensational content, which directly affect societal values and the family institution, can have a much more decisive and concrete impact compared to encrypted film content.”
Tags: human rights, media, lgbti
