Editing But I'm a Cheerleader (section)

==Rating and distribution==
When originally submitted to the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] rating board, ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' received an [[NC-17]] rating. In order to get a commercially viable R rating, Babbit removed a two-second shot of Graham's hand sweeping Megan's clothed body, a [[Panning (camera)|camera pan]] of Megan's body when she is masturbating, and a comment that Megan "[[Cunnilingus|ate Graham out]]".<ref>{{cite news  | last = Taubin  | first = A.  | title = Erasure Police  | newspaper = [[The Village Voice]]  | page = 57 | date = August 3, 1999}}</ref>

Babbit was interviewed by [[Kirby Dick]] for his 2006 documentary film ''[[This Film Is Not Yet Rated]]''. The film argues that films with homosexual content are treated more stringently than those with only heterosexual content, and that scenes of female sexuality draw harsher criticism from the board than those of male sexuality. Babbit stated that she felt discriminated against for making a gay film.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-10-17 |title= 'This Film is Not Yet Rated' Explores Anti-Gay Bias of MPAA Ratings System |url=http://gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=10452 |access-date=2022-04-02 |website= GayWired.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017191223/http://gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=10452 |archive-date=17 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was rated as M (for mature audiences 15 and older) in Australia and in New Zealand, 14A in Canada, 12 in Germany and 15 in the United Kingdom.

The film premiered on September 12, 1999, at the [[1999 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]] and was screened in January 2000 at the [[Sundance Film Festival]]. It was shown at other international film festivals including the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] festival and the [[London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival]].<ref name=":0" />

Following its Toronto premiere, [[Fine Line Features]] acquired North American distribution rights to the film for "low six figures", committing $500,000 to prints and advertisement and promising its filmmakers gross participation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fine Line cheering pix at Toronto|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Oliver|last=Jones|date=17 September 1999|access-date=23 November 2024|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/fine-line-cheering-pix-at-toronto-film-festival-1117755777/}}</ref> However, the deal fell through in February 2000 over doubts regarding home video rights, with [[Lionsgate Films|Lions Gate Films]] acquiring North American rights the following month and releasing it theatrically in the United States on July 7, 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lions Gate pacts for 'Cheerleader'|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Dana|last=Harris|date=6 March 2000|access-date=23 November 2024|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/lions-gate-pacts-for-cheerleader-1117779116/}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=But I'm a Cheerleader |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3695805953/weekend/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-date=April 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402011757/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3695805953/weekend/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was first released to home video by Universal Studios on October 3, 2000, and by Lions Gate on July 22, 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-25 |title=But I'm a Cheerleader DVD|url=http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/DVdX0eilBNtogj |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=[[MovieWeb]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925200011/http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/DVdX0eilBNtogj |archive-date=25 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In honor of the film's 20th anniversary, the [[director's cut]] of ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' was released via [[video on demand]] on December 8, 2020,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=2020-12-04 |title='But I'm a Cheerleader' Director Jamie Babbit on the Queer Classic 20 Years Later: 'I Wanted to Make a Gay 'Clueless |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/features/but-im-a-cheerleader-director-jamie-babbit-20th-anniversary-1234842163/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=December 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212215404/https://variety.com/2020/film/features/but-im-a-cheerleader-director-jamie-babbit-20th-anniversary-1234842163/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and on Blu-ray on June 1, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/But-Im-a-Cheerleader-Blu-ray/131346/ |title=But I'm a Cheerleader Blu-ray (Director's Cut) |website=Blu-ray.com |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424042802/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/But-Im-a-Cheerleader-Blu-ray/131346/ |url-status=live }}</ref>