The DVD distribution company responsible for the Pride movie have been accused of homophobia after they deleted all references to homosexuality on the cover.

Artists at CBS Films, which was jointly responsible for the release, along with Sony Pictures, airbrushed out a Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners banner from the cover. They also changed the description of the group from ‘a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists’ to simply ‘a group of London-based activists’.

Pride DVD

Top: the photo and description as they appear on the US DVD; bottom, how the photo originally looked

Although the page on CBS Films’ website still prominently shows the banner, the company was accused of ‘trying to sell more copies by watering down the gay content’ by Ben Roberts, director of the BFI film fund, which backed Pride.

‘I’m not defending it, it’s wrong and outmoded, but I’m not surprised,’ he told BBC News.

‘It’s an unfortunate commercial reality both here and in the US that distributors have to deal with and consider in getting films onto the shop shelf. LGBT material is largely marginalised outside of rare hits like Brokeback Mountain.’

The film was given 5 stars by So So Gay when we reviewed in September, and it received standing ovations at its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May and at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The UK release of the DVD is not due until March this year.