Russia sure does get in the U.S. news a lot lately. Citing 2013 legislation in that country, which bans what it terms “gay propaganda,” Russia may ban showings of the new Disney adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast.” Josh Gad’s portrayal of LeFou is just not going down well in Putin’s domain.

The country’s culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, has said action might be taken to ban the film prior to its Russian release on March 16, after a recent screening of the Disney Movie. The New York Daily news says Vitaly Milonov, a United Russia Party MP, has already asked Medinsky to remove the movie from domestic release, if he deems it does, indeed, have elements of homosexual propaganda.

“Exclusively gay moment” in “Beauty and the Beast”

Shortly before the U.S. release of “Beauty and the Beast, Bill Condon, the film’s director, said in a statement that the remake of the story has an “exclusively gay moment.” Said moment involves Gad’s character, LeFou and another character, Gaston, played by Luke Evans. As the film progresses, LeFou struggles with his feelings for Gaston. This is reportedly a subplot to the main story of Emma Watson’s Belle and Dan Stevens’ Beast.

Meanwhile, Medinsky has said that once he has received a copy of the movie with the necessary distribution paperwork, his department will evaluate it to see if it falls under their 2013 legislation.

Reportedly the legislation angered the LGBTQ community in Russia, as well as human rights activists in the country, when it was signed into law.

Reportedly homosexuality in Russia was decriminalized in 1993 and in 1999 was taken off the list of “psychiatric disorders” in the country.

Russia is not alone in wanting to ban the film over gay content

It is not only Russia that is against the homosexual content of the new Disney movie. According to WHNT News, the Henagar Drive-in Theater in DeKalb County, Alabama also objected to the film due to its gay content.

The owner of the drive-in posted on their Facebook page to say if they cannot take their young granddaughter and grandson to see a movie, then adults also have no business watching it.

The owner also said in the post that if they cannot sit through a film with God or Jesus sitting next to them, then they also have no business showing it at their drive-in theater. The owner, Carol Laney, said she and her husband have a strict policy on what can be shown at their theater, saying their goal is to show movies that families can enjoy. She did say she respects the choice of others, but that she hopes others will respect their choice not to screen the movie. As reported by Blasting News, other theaters in Alabama have also removed the film from the scheduling.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED