Complaints have been made to the BBC after musical competition show Let It Shine removed the LGBTI lyrics from Lady Gaga’s Born This Way.
The Saturday night primetime show, hoping to cast five new faces for a musical theatre production based on Take That’s music, was slammed for removing references to sexuality, race and drag queens from the number.
The edited version of the track removed:
Don’t be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you’re broke or evergreen
You’re black, white, beige, chola descent
You’re Lebanese, you’re orient
Whether life’s disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
’cause baby you were born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Lesbian, transgendered life,
I’m on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
I’m on the right track baby,
I was born to be brave.
A dance break saw the boys from the first chorus go into the second verse, leaving out the lyrics celebrating minorities.
@BBC how dare you butcher #BornThisWay on #letitshine, removing the lyrics from the song that give it its meaning and power. SHAME ON YOU!!!
— Mark Pointon (@m2geek) February 19, 2017
#letitshine how can you sing born this way without mentioning anything about equality and diversity ??? It’s the point of the song
— David (@davidsmunday) February 18, 2017
So the BBC edited Born This Way for #letitshine so it didn’t mention any LGBT references. Surely that’s the whole message of the song?
— Jordan (@Jord_an1) February 18, 2017
No matter straight, straight or straight, straight or cisgender life, I’m on that right track baby, I was Born This Way, hey! #LetItShine
— david chipakupaku (@DavidChippa) February 19, 2017
A Let It Shine spokesperson claimed Born This Way was not edited for content and songs on the show are always cut short.
They said: ‘All songs featured on the show were cut for time only.’
It is not the first time the BBC has faced criticism from the LGBTI community this year. In January, the documentary Transgender Kids; Who Knows Best? was widely condemned for its transphobic portrayal of children living with gender dysphoria.