The sale of Archie comics has been banned in Singapore, after the state deemed it to be in violation of its accceptable media guidelines.
The comic’s inclusion of a married gay couple is in conflict with Singapore’s ban on material portraying ‘alternative lifestyles or deviant sexual practices’. In Singapore, homosexuality is deemed deviant.
Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) told Time.com that Archie was found 'to be in breach of guidelines because of its depiction of the same-sex marriage of two characters in the comic. We thus informed the local distributor not to import or distribute the comic in retail outlets'. The Authority claims it took the action to ban the comic after receiving complaints about its content.
Children’s books that encourage acceptance and tolerance were also recently removed from the national library’s shelves. The same people probably complained about those, right MDA?
The story of the gay couple includes a groundbreaking storyline in which Archie dies saving the life of Kevin Keller, a gay senator. The comic has been a strong force for equality in recent years, with several storylines mirroring LGBTQ rights stories in the news.
Picture: Archie
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.