Bety and the Beast: Disney's First Gay Character Is Here | Time

Contents:

• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER
• ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG
• IS THIS REALLY DISNEY’S FIRST GAY CHARACTER?
• BETY & THE BEAST WILL MAKE DISNEY HISTORY WH FIRST GAY CHARACTER
• BETY AND THE BEAST WILL FEATURE DISNEY’S FIRST GAY CHARACTER

'BETY AND THE BEAST' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER

The highly anticipated live-actn remake of “Bety and the Beast” will feature a gay character for the first time Disney's history, acrdg to the film’s director. Director Bill Condon said an terview wh Attu, a Brish gay magaze, that LeFou, the goofy sikick of the film’s ma villa, Gaston, will fd his own subplot by explorg his sexualy.

ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG

” Condon promised the film will have a “nice, exclively gay moment” at the the LGBTQ have been advotg to see themselv reprented Disney films. Those g were advotg for givg the lead character Disney’s blockbter h “Frozen” a female love tert the news of LeFou beg Disney’s first gay character, however, was met wh mixed reactns. Bety and the Beast’s live-actn update was already makg headl for s revisns to the 1991 animated classic, but s latt allegedly serv as a first for all of Disney: The late-breakg announcement yterday that the film will feature the stud’s first gay character adds a new layer to the productn, which has actively sought to take s fairy-tale source material to the 21st century.

In the April issue of the Brish magaze, Attu, the film’s stars (Dan Stevens and Emma Watson), along wh s director, Bill Condon, talk at length about the film’s nnectn to the gay muny. Htg at an “exclively gay moment” volvg LeFou, Condon offered a rare nfirmatn regardg the sexualy of a Disney character.

For s part, Disney has never shied away om referencg gay culture, noddg to legendary drag performer Dive wh the character sign for Ursula the Sea Wch om The Ltle Mermaid, or on ocsn subvertg genr rol wh stori like Mulan. ” While LeFou may not be a perfect example of reprentatn—his syphantic toadyg verg on stereotype, and his name translat, lerally, to “The Fool”—the prence of a gay character wh the world of Disney remas important.

IS THIS REALLY DISNEY’S FIRST GAY CHARACTER?

Bill Condon, director of Disney's upg live-actn Bety and the Beast, reveals LeFou will be the stud's first gay character.

But is a nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie. Condon, as well as stars Watson and Stevens, also talked about the wi appeal that Bety and the Beast has amongst the LGBT muny, particularly gay men.

BETY & THE BEAST WILL MAKE DISNEY HISTORY WH FIRST GAY CHARACTER

This marks a historic moment Disney history — this is the first time one of the stud's films has featured a gay major character.

By reprentg same-sex attractn this short but explicly gay scene, the stud is sendg out a msage that this is normal and natural – and this is a msage that will be heard every untry of the world, even untri where ’s still socially unacceptable or even illegal to be gay.

BETY AND THE BEAST WILL FEATURE DISNEY’S FIRST GAY CHARACTER

Of urse, no doubt some ntroversy will stem om the fact that Disney's first gay character is a villa, pecially as the stud has a history of queerdg 's antagonists. However, Condon's discsn of why this film appeals to gay men - as well as wantg to pay homage to Howard Ashman, the film's lyricist who passed away om AIDS before the film was released - pots to the subplot beg more than a way to make LeFou a joke or seem more villao.

We n only hope this means that the future, Disney will be makg more clive films and that LeFou is the first gay character, not the only gay character, Disney's vast non. Spoiler alert: the upg live-actn Bety and the Beast will feature Disney’s first-ever openly gay character.