Delta Air Lines said Friday night it would immediately begin showing versions of the films "Booksmart" and "Rocketman" that include scenes covering girls' sexuality and gay identity. The scenes had previously been omitted from in-flight showings, NBC News reports.
The airline was singled out on social media for running edited versions of "Booksmart," a comedy about high school friends directed by Olivia Wilde, that apparently excluded a lesbian sex scene, cut the words "vagina" and "genitals," and nixed an animated sequence where the main characters, both girls, turned into naked dolls.
Delta was previously criticized for running a version of the Elton John biopic "Rocketman" that excluded any reference to the singer's sexual orientation. It said that film studios "often" directly provide it with a choice of theatrical or edited versions of films.
In its statement the airline said it had selected edited version of the films in question even though the omitted scenes would have met its standards. It did not say why this happened. The carrier said it would institute a new process "immediately" to better manage in-flight entertainment.
