I finally got around to seeing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. I know this is a low bar, but it's the best sequel of the bunch. There's just one thing that bothers me.
Egon's granddaughter and a ghost girl strike up a friendship while their eyes, their body language, and their hesitancy to say what they really feel suggests lesbian chemistry. Never do they kiss and never do they confess their feelings. Hold that thought because I want to mention a couple of other movies.
In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Zia actor Danielle Pineda was upset about the line being cut, "I dont date men, but if I did, it would be you. It would gross me out, but Id do it." It's the most ham-fisted I'm Gay line in the history of cinema, but the fact that it was cut for the international market makes it a matter of censorship.
In Terminator: Dark Fate, Grace, the Terminator woman from the future, is clearly in love with Dani. Yet, she dies just before she confesses it. They dance around her motivation for volunteering and her last words are, "I... I...." (The words you were looking for were, "love you.")
Fallen Kingdom had a backlash over the censorship. Dark Fate and Frozen Empire seem to have engaged in self-censorship by having obviously gay characters who never get to have their moment where they identify themselves or have any romance.
I can only conclude one of two things:
1) The nations we market to with hostile governments to LGBTQ people do not want films that cut out gay kisses. They only want to market films that never had LGBTQ characters to begin with.
2) Studios have caught on to the backlash from censoring films in other countries and have opted instead to remove gayness altogether. You can't censor LGBTQ characters if they aren't LGBTQ to begin with.
It's very disheartening. I worry that we're reaching a point where characters in movies aren't going to be allowed to be gay, but you'll be able to see them and their partners happily together on the streaming-exclusive spinoff shows. No same sex relationships in the theaters though. Winnie the Pooh and certain religious leaders would not approve.