Rabat – Saudi authorities have been confiscating rainbow-colored products, including children’s clothes and toys, which they claim promote homosexuality to children.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce said on Twitter that the Ministry’s “supervisory teams continue to seize all products and commodities that violate the teachings of our true Islamic religion, traditions, customs, and culture.”
A video posted by the Ministry features an official who tours a shopping mall and confiscates items that “call for homosexuality and contradict common sense.” The seized products include headbands, hairpins, nail polish, school supplies, and other rainbow-colored items.
Rainbow colors have become a symbol of the LGBTQ+ movement after its members have started using the rainbow on their pride flag.
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The Ministry has called on Saudi citizens to report to authorities if they come across such products in shops, adding that those violating the rules will face “legal penalties.”
Saudi Arabia recently banned the Disney animated Movie “Lightyear” for promoting homosexuality. The children’s movie features a kiss scene between two lesbian characters.
Other countries, including the UAE, China, Egypt, and Kuwait, have followed suit and banned the movie from screening in their cinemas.
Saudi Arabia is a Muslim and conservative country where homosexuality is forbidden in absolute terms. Saudi law heavily punishes sex out of wedlock and sexual orientations that do not conform to Islamic teachings. Individuals engaging in such activities can face the death penalty.
The latest LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index by Asher & Lyric has ranked Saudi Arabia as the fourth most unsafe country worldwide for LGBTQ+ travelers.
