HTGAWM Gay Characters Love Scene Censorship Italy TV

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ABC's How to Get Away With Murder is currently on hiatus and set to return in September, but the Shonda Rhimes series is still making headlines. It all started on July 8 when an Italian television network, Rai Due, aired a censored version of an episode of the show, deleting a love scene featuring two of the male leads, Connor (played by Jack Falahee) and Oliver (Conrad Ricamora), having sex.

#Coliver Is Important. Stop Censoring Love! @RaiDue #LoveIsLove #HTGAWM @RestingPlatypus @conradricamora pic.twitter.com/nPG1T095zc
— HTGAWM (@fyeahtgawm) July 9, 2016

The Italian audience pointed out the censorship to Falahee.

@RestingPlatypus Italy censored #Coliver tonight on tv! #HTGAWM
— Gloria (@gloriasabbatini) July 8, 2016

Trova le differenze:#leregoledeldelittoperfetto vs #HTGAWM @RestingPlatypus @violadavis pic.twitter.com/HJsG196aRl
— Matteo Mizzoni (@Diconoche) July 8, 2016

Damn, this is crazy. https://t.co/H3EwwkU0MJ
— Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 9, 2016

Falahee voiced his outrage on Twitter over the removal of the love scene depicting two men having sex.

Do you really believe that audiences in Italia aren't "ready" for real life? Even Vatican has begun to open its eyes https://t.co/SoF6pA2h7l
— Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 9, 2016

Series creator Pete Nowalk and executive producer Rhimes joined the conversation, echoing Falahee's disappointment and disapproval.

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I haven't heard of this until now. Shocked and disappointed. @AngelBonacci @HowToGetAwayABC @ABCStudiosIT
— Pete Nowalk (@petenowalk) July 9, 2016

Italian viewers, here is the Coliver scene as we intended you to see it: #HTGAWM pic.twitter.com/5r51LMSzPM
— Pete Nowalk (@petenowalk) July 9, 2016

THIS. Censorship of any love is inexcusable. #HTGAWM #loveislove https://t.co/TPv7BvzBsv
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) July 9, 2016

Falahee then shared a Change.org petition against the network, as well as a #LoveIsLove message.

Sign this and help end censorship. #loveislove https://t.co/0bMxLEkiTl
— Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 9, 2016

.@RaiDue (1) Thank you for airing the original program this Sunday but please apologize rather than assigning .. #EndCensorship #loveislove
— Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 9, 2016

(2) blame and dodging the issue at hand. Your viewers deserve better, @RaiDue #lgbtq #loveislove #HTGAWM
— Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 9, 2016

Rai Due responded by apologizing, and running the full episode, with the scene featuring the two men, on July 10.

Thank you @RaiDue for airing the uncensored version of @HowToGetAwayABC #htgawm tonight. ??????????????
— Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 10, 2016

While there's never a bad time to spread the gospel of #LoveIsLove, this was a particularly triumphant moment.

WE ended censorship in this case. YOU ALL inspire me. Thank you for your voices! #loveislove https://t.co/Fc2ktX6yBP
— Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus) July 10, 2016