HONG KONG — “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Queen biopic, has been faulted by some Western audiences and critics for soft-pedaling Freddie Mercury’s relationships with men. But in screenings of the film in China, references to the singer’s sexuality have been removed altogether.

These holes in the plot incensed a generation of young movie buffs, who are largely more progressive than the country’s censors.

A censored version of the film, released in China last weekend, is only around three minutes shorter than the original. But it omits a crucial scene in which Freddie tells his fiancée that he is not straight, and the scene in which his lover, Jim Hutton, is introduced.

A celebratory scene in which the band members perform in women’s clothing was also cut from the Chinese release.