Fans of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” recently learned LeFou, the sidekick to villain Gaston, was slated to be the very first Openly Gay Disney character. In fact, the director of the live-action film confirmed there was a “nice and exclusively gay moment” in the film. While the live-action film isn’t set to hit theaters until March 17, the film has already started to receive some controversy over the openly gay character.
One theater cancels plans to screen the film
A theater located in the state of Alabama has decided not to screen Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” after news broke that the live-action movie would include a gay character.
The new owners at Henagar Drive-In theater took to Facebook to inform their customers that they would not be screening the film after previously planning on doing so once it had been confirmed the live-action version of LeFou (played by Josh Gad) would be openly gay.
In the announcement the Alabama theater owners made on Facebook, the owners claim they are not willing to “compromise” what the Bible teaches by showing a film premiering a gay character in it. The owners. The owners also briefly talk about being unwilling to show a film they would be uncomfortable taking their grandchildren to see. The announcement on Facebook has been shared more than 1,000 times and received an overwhelming number of negative comments slamming the owners for making such a “horrid” and “hateful” decision.
Expanded on what was already there
Josh Gad, the actor who is playing what has been coined as the first openly gay Disney character, claimed LeFou was a complex character and the director did an incredible job on expanding on what was already there from the original movie. Gad points out the fact that the openly gay moment at the end of the film is extremely subtle, but he also feels it is incredibly effective.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the “Beauty and the Beast” Live Action Film is getting a pretty even mix of people who are excited the movie will include an openly gay character as well as those who are condemning Disney for it. Entertainment Weekly attempted to reach out to Disney for a comment regarding the decision not to show the film. Disney has yet to respond or make an official comment regarding the matter.
