Schitt’s Creek is currently airing on Comedy Central as part of a new syndication deal inked shortly before the beloved series made history at the 2020 Emmys. However, the TV network isn’t exactly broadcasting all of the episodes as intended — at least not around the world. According to Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy, Comedy Central in India has censored out a kiss between his character David Rose and Ted Mullens (Dustin Milligan).
In a tweet on Tuesday, Levy called out the TV network and attached video proof of the doctored footage. The clip, meant to be a promo, focuses on the spin-the-bottle scene of the Season 5 episode “Housewarming”. While kisses between two women and between a man and a woman are shown, the one between two men — David and Ted — is edited out completely.
“You showed the kiss between two women, you showed the kiss between a woman and a man, then removed the kiss between two men?” Levy wrote on Twitter. “This is a show about the power of inclusivity. The censorship of gay intimacy is making a harmful statement against that message. #loveislove”
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The promo video in question was actually first posted in March 2019, so it’s unclear whether Comedy Central in India is still airing that episode in its censored form. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case.
India is still very conservative in terms of LGBTQ+ rights. In fact, it was only in 2018 that the country finally decriminalized being gay. And just last month, a lawyer for the federal government struck down petitions to legalize gay marriage.
“My legal take is that it is not permissible,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said during a hearing in the Delhi High Court, according to Bloomberg. “Our law, our legal system, our society, our values do not recognize” same-sex marriages. Another hearing regarding the issue will be held later this month.
Below, see the controversial Comedy Central promo clip.
You showed the kiss between two women, you showed the kiss between a woman and a man, then removed the kiss between two men? This is a show about the power of inclusivity. The censorship of gay intimacy is making a harmful statement against that message. #loveislove https://t.co/3ouNbuetq1
— dan levy (@danjlevy) October 6, 2020
Editor’s Note: Pick up your own David Rose-inspired face mask and say “ew” to anti-maskers. A portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares’ COVID-19 Artist Relief fund supporting independent musicians.
