‘Bety and the Beast’: Disney’s First-Ever Gay Character Is LeFou, Voiced by Josh Gad – The Hollywood Reporter

Contents:

• 'BETY AND THE BEAST'S 'GAY MOMENT' MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHG
• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER
• THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDG THE GAY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' SUBPLOT REEKS OF HYPOCRISY
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER
• JOSH GAD ADMS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' REMAKE 'DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH' WH GAY CHARACTER'S STORYLE
• OPNBETY AND THE BEAST'S GAY AGENDA IS PROOF HOLLYWOOD HAS GONE BONKERS
• RSIAN MP LLS FOR BAN ON BETY AND THE BEAST OVER 'GAY PROPAGANDA'
• BETY AND THE BEAST: DISNEY REF TO CUT GAY SCENE FOR MALAYSIAN RELEASE
• THE ‘EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT’ ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ PROV THE DANGER OF OVERHYPE
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ BUT UNFAZED BY ANTI-GAY BACKLASH
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ OPENS STRONG CHA WH ‘GAY MOMENT’ INTACT
• LEFOU EMBRAC LE FEY: DISNEY GO GAY IN ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’
• PLEASE CHILL OUT ABOUT THE ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ GAY SCENE
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ PULLED FROM MALAYSIA RELEASE AFTER ‘GAY MOMENT’ IS CUT
• JOSH GAD SAYS HE DON'T THK 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DID 'JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE'
• BETY AND THE BEAST DIRECTOR SAYS 'EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT' WAS 'OVERBLOWN'

'BETY AND THE BEAST'S 'GAY MOMENT' MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHG

They're not talkg about the overall film, which is gettg great reviews (three out of four stars om USA TODAY) and breakg box office rerds wh a $170 ln but, the hight ever for March and the seventh-hight of all unrwhelmed reactn has been to the so-lled "exclively gay moment" the film, which has ed ternatnal ntroversy sce director Bill Condon first mentned an terview wh Attu the terview, Condon said the character LeFou (Josh Gad) would be portrayed as gay.

The "gay moment" that Condon was referrg to is a blk-and-you'll-miss- shot the film's fal sends.

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

"If nobody had said that #LeFou had a 'gay moment'  #BetyAndTheBeast, I really don't thk would've even been a thg, " wrote one Twter er. "Watched the new #BetyAndTheBeast movie last night, hontly don't unrstand what the outrage (about) there beg a gay character was (about), " wrote another. "Bt part of my day was when half the theater clapped and cheered when the gay uple me on screen #BetyAndTheBeast, " reported one dience who supported the film appld how much money was able rack spe reported "boytts.

"Though the moment was well-received or unrwhelmg to many dience members, there were some the LGBT muny who thought the reprentatn of a gay character did not go far enough. Also LeFou is not gay enough, " one Twter er sentiment was shared by some LGBT crics and wrers. "Disney n pat self on s back all wants for turng a villao buffoon that was d as gay the origal film to a morally ambiguo buffoon who is more obvly gay, nfis a teapot, and tri out dancg wh a man, " wrote Vulture.

"Although I adored the movie overall, part of my tratn wh is that I had hoped for more out of Condon’s 'exclively gay moment, '" The Huffgton Post explaed. 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.

THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDG THE GAY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' SUBPLOT REEKS OF HYPOCRISY

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. ” 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. There was a great al of ntroversy six years ago when Disney announced that the 2017 live-actn remake film of Bety and the Beast would feature the "first openly gay moment" any Disney film.

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER

Lyrics such as "We don't like/What we don't unrstand/In fact sr /And this monster is myster at least" powerfully skewer the nventnal fears and stigmas aimed at LGBT+ people, particularly at the time when the AIDS crisis was beg blamed on the gay muny and homophobia was beg exprsed publicly and celly. The town that Belle om seems acceptg of crossdrsg and gay romance, and Cogsworth and Lumiere's dg is replaced wh a "naggg" wife for the former. As for the unrwhelmg “exclively gay” subplot, though?

JOSH GAD ADMS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' REMAKE 'DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH' WH GAY CHARACTER'S STORYLE

That is the extent of the so-lled gay subplot. It’s certa as the sun — Josh Gad’s character Bety and the Beast is gay. But is a nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie.

In the lead up to 2017's Bety and the Beast, Josh Gad's LeFou character was billed as havg Disney's first "exclively gay moment". In the 2017 live-actn Bety and the Beast remake, Gad played LeFou, Gaston's sikick whom director Bill Condon dubbed as Disney's first-ever openly gay character, tellg Attu magaze at the time that the character would have a "nice, exclively gay moment. ' My regret what happened is that beme 'Disney's first explicly gay moment' and was never tend to be that, " said Gad, 41.

OPNBETY AND THE BEAST'S GAY AGENDA IS PROOF HOLLYWOOD HAS GONE BONKERS

"It was never tend to be a moment that we should ld ourselv for, bee ankly I don't thk we did jtice to what a real gay character a Disney film should be. "But is a nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie.

RELATED VIDEO: Josh Gad on Controversial 'Gay Moment' In Bety and the Beast: 'This Film Is One of Inclivens'. No thanks — I'm not a, a drive- cema Alabama announced last week that had cid not to screen Disney's remake of s classic film Bety and the Beast bee featured a gay character. (That character is Gaston's sikick Lefou who, acrdg to the film's director, is "nfed about what he wants" but at the end of the movie has a "nice, exclively gay moment".

)"You n feel ee to e watch wholome movi whout worryg about sex, nudy, homosexualy and foul language, " the Henagar Drive-In said a Facebook 'openly gay' character: Has everyone gone mad? Now, I love a children's film about btialy and Stockholm syndrome as much as the next person, but an openly gay character?!

RSIAN MP LLS FOR BAN ON BETY AND THE BEAST OVER 'GAY PROPAGANDA'

Some people might argue that the cln of a gay character is actually a good thg — the Daily Beast, for example, has lled a "wele and clive velopment" wackadoos claim that LGBTQ young people viewg the film will feel accepted and empowered, knowg they are not alone. The cln of gay character Lefou (left) Bety and the Beast has been praised as a "wele and clive velopment". Featurg the voice of the famoly homosexual and openly female celebry, Ellen DeGener, Fdg Nemo also had "gay agenda" wrten all over .

After all, 's not jt homophobic drive- cemas Atlanta.

Polil lears Rsia are also llg for a ban of Bety and the Beast, which they say is gay propaganda. I suggt we embrace their approach, but broan to clu all elements of children's films that brazenly pict homosexualy, cultural diversy, anti-opprsive them or all, 's not like they will enunter any of those issu when they step outsi. A lg party MP Rsia has sought to have the new Disney mil Bety and the Beast banned for peddlg “gay propaganda” Milonov wrote to the culture mister, Vladimir Medsky, askg him to check the film for so-lled homosexual propaganda and llg for s forthg release to be ncelled, the state news agency RIA Novosti mors rmatn about homosexualy has been illegal Rsia sce 2013.

BETY AND THE BEAST: DISNEY REF TO CUT GAY SCENE FOR MALAYSIAN RELEASE

It scrib homosexualy as “non-tradnal sexual relatns”. Homosexualy was crimalised Rsia 1993.

Medsky told the BBC that the culture mistry would “nsir [Bety and the Beast] acrdg to the law” as soon as had a py of the film wh paperwork for new mil ntas Disney’s first ever gay character and love scene, acrdg to the film’s director, Bill Condon. ”Milonov was a leadg proponent of legislatn agast gay “propaganda”, which activists have said has led to a rise homophobic rhetoric and attacks. Disney says will not cut a gay scene om Bety and the Beast for release Malaysia, spe a requt om live-actn film, which stars Emma Watson, had been schled to open cemas Malaysia on Thursday, but Disney fely postponed the film’s release earlier this week after the untry’s Film Censorship Board said would only be approved if the scene was cut.

THE ‘EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT’ ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ PROV THE DANGER OF OVERHYPE

Homosexual activy remas illegal Malaysia, and homosexual characters n only be picted on screen if they show repentance or are portrayed negatively. “We have approved but there is a mor cut volvg a gay moment.

The film featur an “exclively gay moment”, where LeFou danc wh another scene has already attracted ntroversy.

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ BUT UNFAZED BY ANTI-GAY BACKLASH

The ‘exclively gay moment’ ‘Bety and the Beast’ prov the danger of overhype. ]Before the film even premiered, Vulture published a breakdown of exactly what was volved the "exclively gay moment" that director Bill Condon hyped up  an Attu magaze terview.

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ OPENS STRONG CHA WH ‘GAY MOMENT’ INTACT

In short, wrer Jackson McHenry noted, the "moment" wh LeFou — played by Josh Gad — wasn't much more than that:As the characters get together for a big celebratn at the end of the film, the real "exclively gay moment" arriv. This is not the "exclively gay moment" "Bety and the Beast. That's the danger of wrg LGBTQ characters 2017: Stori about gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr and queer people are held to credibly (if not unfairly) high standards.

Or, and this is purely speculatn: Was this a purposeful news release, one that gave Disney a chance to make a statement agast prejudice by standg up to markets like Malaysia and refg to ed the "exclively gay moment" out? Gay viewers seekg mastream self-intifitn the cema have ually had to settle for wkg nuanc and allns, or at worst, the more obliv homoeroticism of sundry Michael Bay-style brawnfts. A flurry of headl – rangg om the overly enthed to the overly outraged – greeted Bety and the Beast director Bill Condon’s announcement Attu magaze that the Moe Hoe’s live-actn remake of their 1991 fairytale smash would boast the pany’s first “exclively gay moment”.

History’s first overtly gay Disney character, turns out, is LeFou, unctuo manservant to preeng, hyper-macho villa Gaston – an unrlg who, Condon’s words, “on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston” obsequ servant who alternat between worshippg and hopelsly sirg his straight master? Wh a name that translat as “madman” and has also been ed as a gay slur French? It’s not exactly the regnn that gay viewers have been wag for, even if the fished film giv LeFou the most fleetg of hts at future romance wh a kdred, a gay film-maker known for such telligent queer vtigatns as Gods and Monsters and Ksey, mt realise that this is no giant leap forward for on-screen reprentatn, though cred him for stokg the off-screen nversatn on the subject.

LEFOU EMBRAC LE FEY: DISNEY GO GAY IN ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’

“Exclively gay” is a cur turn of phrase, not least when appealg to a muny for whom clivy has always been a higher prry.

PLEASE CHILL OUT ABOUT THE ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ GAY SCENE

One prum Condon’s implitn is that LeFou’s sir are unambiguoly homosexual, not that they’re intifiable or relatable exclively to gay viewers.

For Disney animatn has a long history of LGBT dg, tend and otherwise, that mak Bety and the Beast’s more “official” gay gtur look rather may not have granted a gay inty to any of s characters prr to LeFou, but dienc have been dog so for s. That may not make Disney’s first “exclively gay” narrative, whatever that exactly means. But the thg that has gotten people really upset about the new film — a live-actn remake of the 1991 animated classic — is that one of s characters is gay.

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ PULLED FROM MALAYSIA RELEASE AFTER ‘GAY MOMENT’ IS CUT

Director Bill Condon revealed this month that one of the tweaks he’s ma to the origal tale of bety-meets-beast, is that LeFou, Gaston’s sikick played by Disney all-star shortstop Josh Gad, is a gay man. LeFou is, Condon’s words, “explicly gay.

JOSH GAD SAYS HE DON'T THK 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DID 'JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE'

Condon’s rejiggerg of a classic has h a nerve: A drive- theater Alabama has boytted the film, the Rsian ernment is nsirg dog the same, and the film censorship board Malaysia asked Disney to cut the film’s gay scene (the stud refed). It’s not jt about Bety and the Beast or gay rights. Earlier this month, a reprentative of the theater posted a now-leted Facebook note clarg that they would not show the movie bee LeFou is gay, and homosexualy go agast Christian beliefs.

The petn, which stat that “Disney wants to normalize homosexualy s productns, ” has over 50, 000 signatur — more than 20 tim Henagar, Alabama’s populatn of 2, 300 people (acrdg to the 2010 cens). Regardls of their fah, many people will talk about as part of the fight for gay rights. If you look at all the outrage and the backlash has spired, ’s not hard to see how takg a stand for one si or the other uld be read more as performative back-pattg than an effort to advance gay rights or Christian doctre.

BETY AND THE BEAST DIRECTOR SAYS 'EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT' WAS 'OVERBLOWN'

The songs your favore Disney movie were probably wrten by a gay man.

If you like Disney movi and Disney songs, chanc are a gay man named Howard Ashman -posed or wrote the lyrics to many of your favor. It tak a special cultural ignorance to prott the adaptatn bee featur a gay character, even though the origal movie wouldn’t be what is whout Ashman’s talent. Never md the many other Disney characters who have been d as or terpreted as gay characters over the years, or that “Gaston, ” a number which appears both Bety and the Beast films, is sentially LeFou’s love letter to his mcle-daddy csh.