Apple TV+ Production Banned in 11 Countries for Featuring Gay Refugee

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The series “Little America” of the Apple TV+ streaming service has been banned in 11 countries for featuring the character of a gay refugee, according to the production’s scriptwriter Amrou Al-Kadhi.

“This is the harsh reality of doing Queer Arabic work. Trump’s ban forced us to film it outside the US. And now our ‘Little America’ episode has been banned in 11 countries. We’re sorry about this – please know that we’re working hard to find a way to take it to you,” Al-Kadhi said in his Twitter profile.

According to the US website ‘Advocate’, the ban occurred in ten Arab countries and in Russia.

The eighth and final episode of the series’ first season, titled “The Son”, tells the story of Syrian character Rafiq (Haaz Sleiman), who is not accepted by his family because of his sexuality, and moves to the United States in search of a refuge. As Al-Kadhi said in his tweet, the filming of “The Son” had to take place in Canada as Donald Trump has restricted entry of refugees and immigrants to the United States.