Why Disney's First Gay Character Matters

Contents:

• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER
• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER
• ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG
• BETY AND THE BEAST “DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH” WH GAY LEFOU, SAYS JOSH GAD “I DON’T THK WE DID JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE,” GAD SAID A RECENT TERVIEW.BY SAVANNAH WALSHMARCH 1, 2022FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S BEEN NEARLY FIVE YEARS SCE DISNEY’S LIVE-ACTN BETY AND THE BEAST MA HEADL FOR AN “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” VOLVG LEFOU (PLAYED BY JOSH GAD), THE DIM-WTED SIKICK TO THE VILLAO GASTON (LE EVANS). THAT SCENE, TEASED BY DIRECTOR BILL CONDON DURG THE FILM’S PRS TOUR, WOUND UP BEG MERELY A BRIEF SHOT OF LEFOU DANCG WH ANOTHER MAN JT BEFORE THE CREDS ROLLED. GAD IS NOW REMORSEFUL ABOUT HIS CHARACTER’S POSNG AS DISNEY’S FIRST TE LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN.“WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO WARRANT ACLAS,” HE RECENTLY TOLD THE INPENNT. “WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO SAY, ‘LOOK HOW BRAVE WE ARE.’ MY REGRET WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT BEME ‘DISNEY’S FIRST EXPLICLY GAY MOMENT’ AND WAS NEVER TEND TO BE THAT. 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.”AT THE TIME OF BETY AND THE BEAST’S RELEASE, THE IMPLITN THAT A BELOVED ANIMATED CHARACTER WOULD BE QUEER ED NTROVERSY. AN ALABAMA THEATER REFED TO SCREEN THE FILM, MALAYSIA BALKED AT SCREENG AN UNCENSORED VERSN OF , AND RSIA APPROVED THE FILM FOR SCREENG BUT WH AN AGE RATG OF 16 AND ABOVE. AMIDST THE FALLOUT, CONDON REVISED HIS EARLIER MENTS, LLG VERAGE OF THE SCENE “OVERBLOWN.” MEANWHILE, GAD TOLD USA TODAY AT THE FILM’S PREMIERE THAT THE SCRIPT DID NOT EXPLICLY DISCLOSE LEFOU’S SEXUALY AS GAY. “THAT WAS NOT LEFOU,” GAD NTUED HIS REMARKS TO THE INPENNT. “IF WE’RE GOG TO PAT OURSELV ON THE BACK, THEN DAMN , WE SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER WH THAT. EVERYBODY SERV AN OPPORTUNY TO SEE THEMSELV ON SCREEN, AND I DON’T THK WE’VE DONE ENOUGH—AND I CERTALY HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH TO DO THAT.”GAD WAS SET TO REPRISE HIS ROLE AS LEFOU A PREQUEL SERI FOR DISNEY+, WHICH WOULD HAVE RNED WH EVANS’S GASTON. HOWEVER, DISNEY POSTPONED THE PROJECT EARLIER THIS YEAR, DUE TO CREATIVE LAYS. “WE TRIED TO MAKE ALL WORK BUT UNR THE GUN WASN’T MEANT TO BE…FOR NOW,” GAD, WHO WAS ALSO A SHOWNNER ON THE SERI, TWEETED. “THE CHARACTERS AND THIS STORY WILL LIVE ON, BUT SOMETIM THE BT TENTNS & REALY LLI & NOTHG N BE DONE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHSAVANNAH WALSH
• "BETY AND THE BEAST" DIRECTOR NFIRMS OPENLY GAY CHARACTER THE LIVE-ACTN REMAKE
• JOSH GAD ADMS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' REMAKE 'DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH' WH GAY CHARACTER'S STORYLE
• IS THIS REALLY DISNEY’S FIRST GAY CHARACTER?
• WHY ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’S GAY CHARACTER IS NOT AS GROUNDBREAKG AS DISNEY BELIEV
• BETY AND THE BEAST WILL FEATURE DISNEY’S FIRST GAY CHARACTER
• LEFOU EMBRAC LE FEY: DISNEY GO GAY IN ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’
• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DIRECTOR REVEALS DISNEY'S FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER
• WHY DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER MATTERS
• “POLILLY CORRECT” SNOW WHE PHOTOS SPARK BACKLASHPHOTOS POSTED BY THE DAILY MAIL STIRRED UP IRE ONLE FRIDAY.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 14, 2023AXELLE/BER-GRIFFSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONCE UPON A TIME, A DISNEY LIVE-ACTN REMAKE SPARKED BACKLASH. NO, THIS WASN’T THE RACIST DISURSE AROUND THE LTLE MERMAID, OR BATE OVER POTENTIALLY QUEER BETY AND THE BEAST CHARACTERS, BUT NEWFOUND OUTRAGE ABOUT THE UPG REIMAGG OF SNOW WHE STARRG RACHEL ZEGLER.IT ALL STARTED WH A RECENT DAILY MAIL ARTICLE FEATURG WHAT THE PUBLITN SAID WERE SET PHOTOS OM THE FILM PUBLISHED UNR THE HEADLE, “EXCLUSIVE: SNOW WHE AND THE SEVEN... POLILLY-CORRECT COMPANNS? FIRST PICTUR OF NEW LIVE-ACTN REMAKE OF DISNEY CLASSIC SHOWS STAND- PRCS WALKG WH DIVERSE BAND OF MERRY MEN AND WOMEN AFTER ROW OVER G DWARF ACTORS.”THE OUTLET PUBLISHED SHOTS PURPORTEDLY PTURED ON THURSDAY OM THE MOVIE’S UK SET. THEY SHOW MULTIPLE ACTORS, SEEMGLY SNOW WHE’S WHIMSILLY NAMED NFIDANTS, AS DIFFERENT “GENRS, ETHNICI, AND HEIGHTS,” WHICH UPSET CERTA RNERS OF THE TER. THE SNOW WHE THE PHOTOS IS NOTABLY NOT ZEGLER OF WT SI STORY AND THE UPG HUNGER GAM PREQUEL, WHO ANNOUNCED, PER COLLIR, THAT SHE HAD PLETED FILMG ON THE PROJECT JULY 2022.A DISNEY SOURCE TOLD VF THAT WHILE THE ARE NOT OFFICIAL PHOTOS, THEY ARE OM THE PRODUCTN, WH STAND-S FOR SOME ST MEMBERS. THE DAILY MAIL TOLD VF STANDS BY S STORY.THE SNOW WHE REMAKE IS DIRECTED BY MARC WEBB, AND STARS GAL GADOT AS THE EVIL QUEEN AND TONY WNER ANDREW BURNAP. IT WILL REPORTEDLY CLU SONGS OM THE ORIGAL 1937 FILM, AS WELL AS NEW ON PENNED BY BENJ PASEK AND JT PL, BT KNOWN FOR THE MILS DEAR EVAN HANSEN, AND THE GREATT SHOWMAN.SCE PRODUCTN ON THE PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED, HAS WEATHERED NTROVERSY. PETER DKLAGE PREVLY LLED THE STORY “FUCKG BACKWARD” FOR S POTENTIAL PICTN OF DWARFISM. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE, A DISNEY SPOKPERSON REPLIED WH THE FOLLOWG: “TO AVOID RERCG STEREOTYP OM THE ORIGAL ANIMATED FILM, WE ARE TAKG A DIFFERENT APPROACH WH THE SEVEN CHARACTERS AND HAVE BEEN NSULTG WH MEMBERS OF THE DWARFISM MUNY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARG MORE AS THE FILM HEADS TO PRODUCTN AFTER A LENGTHY VELOPMENT PERD.”ZEGLER HERSELF TOLD VANY FAIR LAST OCTOBER: “PEOPLE ARE MAKG THE JOK ABOUT OURS BEG THE PC SNOW WHE, WHERE ’S LIKE, YEAH, IS—BEE NEED THAT. IT’S AN 85-YEAR-OLD RTOON, AND OUR VERSN IS A REHG STORY ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS A FUNCTN BEYOND ‘SOMEDAY MY PRCE WILL COME.’”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPMOST POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSONTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOSAVANNAH WALSH
• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER

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

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. 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.

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

” 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. It’s been nearly five years sce Disney’s live-actn Bety and the Beast ma headl for an “exclively gay moment” volvg LeFou (played by Josh Gad), the dim-wted sikick to the villao Gaston (Le Evans).

’ My regret what happened is that beme ‘Disney’s first explicly gay moment’ and was never tend to be that.

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

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.

” Meanwhile, Gad told USA Today at the film’s premiere that the script did not explicly disclose LeFou’s sexualy as gay. The live-actn “Bety and the Beast” remake is set to make history by featurg Disney’s first-ever “exclively gay moment, ” director Bill Condon Emma Watson sg “Belle” om “Bety and the Beast”In the new film, Josh Gad’s character LeFou -- a syphantic henchman to the nceed Gaston, played by Le Evans -- will be prented a b differently om the 1991 animated versn.

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.

BETY AND THE BEAST “DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH” WH GAY LEFOU, SAYS JOSH GAD “I DON’T THK WE DID JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE,” GAD SAID A RECENT TERVIEW.BY SAVANNAH WALSHMARCH 1, 2022FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S BEEN NEARLY FIVE YEARS SCE DISNEY’S LIVE-ACTN BETY AND THE BEAST MA HEADL FOR AN “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” VOLVG LEFOU (PLAYED BY JOSH GAD), THE DIM-WTED SIKICK TO THE VILLAO GASTON (LE EVANS). THAT SCENE, TEASED BY DIRECTOR BILL CONDON DURG THE FILM’S PRS TOUR, WOUND UP BEG MERELY A BRIEF SHOT OF LEFOU DANCG WH ANOTHER MAN JT BEFORE THE CREDS ROLLED. GAD IS NOW REMORSEFUL ABOUT HIS CHARACTER’S POSNG AS DISNEY’S FIRST TE LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN.“WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO WARRANT ACLAS,” HE RECENTLY TOLD THE INPENNT. “WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO SAY, ‘LOOK HOW BRAVE WE ARE.’ MY REGRET WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT BEME ‘DISNEY’S FIRST EXPLICLY GAY MOMENT’ AND WAS NEVER TEND TO BE THAT. 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.”AT THE TIME OF BETY AND THE BEAST’S RELEASE, THE IMPLITN THAT A BELOVED ANIMATED CHARACTER WOULD BE QUEER ED NTROVERSY. AN ALABAMA THEATER REFED TO SCREEN THE FILM, MALAYSIA BALKED AT SCREENG AN UNCENSORED VERSN OF , AND RSIA APPROVED THE FILM FOR SCREENG BUT WH AN AGE RATG OF 16 AND ABOVE. AMIDST THE FALLOUT, CONDON REVISED HIS EARLIER MENTS, LLG VERAGE OF THE SCENE “OVERBLOWN.” MEANWHILE, GAD TOLD USA TODAY AT THE FILM’S PREMIERE THAT THE SCRIPT DID NOT EXPLICLY DISCLOSE LEFOU’S SEXUALY AS GAY. “THAT WAS NOT LEFOU,” GAD NTUED HIS REMARKS TO THE INPENNT. “IF WE’RE GOG TO PAT OURSELV ON THE BACK, THEN DAMN , WE SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER WH THAT. EVERYBODY SERV AN OPPORTUNY TO SEE THEMSELV ON SCREEN, AND I DON’T THK WE’VE DONE ENOUGH—AND I CERTALY HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH TO DO THAT.”GAD WAS SET TO REPRISE HIS ROLE AS LEFOU A PREQUEL SERI FOR DISNEY+, WHICH WOULD HAVE RNED WH EVANS’S GASTON. HOWEVER, DISNEY POSTPONED THE PROJECT EARLIER THIS YEAR, DUE TO CREATIVE LAYS. “WE TRIED TO MAKE ALL WORK BUT UNR THE GUN WASN’T MEANT TO BE…FOR NOW,” GAD, WHO WAS ALSO A SHOWNNER ON THE SERI, TWEETED. “THE CHARACTERS AND THIS STORY WILL LIVE ON, BUT SOMETIM THE BT TENTNS & REALY LLI & NOTHG N BE DONE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARTHE ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHSAVANNAH WALSH

"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'. 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.

"BETY AND THE BEAST" DIRECTOR NFIRMS OPENLY GAY CHARACTER THE LIVE-ACTN REMAKE

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.

It's good to see Disney fally clu a gay character, but is Gaston's dweeby sikick really the bt choice? Bety and the Beast will clu Disney‘s first gay character a children’s movie: Gaston’s dorky sikick LeFou, played by Josh Gad. On the one hand, ’s good to see Disney fally clu a gay character a children’s movie, hopefully pavg the way for LGBT reprentatn Disney’s Star Wars and Marvel movi.

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

It’s also worth rememberg that Disney has a long history of featurg d gay villas s animated movi. Bill Condon also said that LeFou’s subplot “has s pay-off at the end” wh an “exclively gay moment” (whatever that means), so maybe LeFou and Gaston end up together.

IS THIS REALLY DISNEY’S FIRST GAY CHARACTER?

Spoiler alert: the upg live-actn Bety and the Beast will feature Disney’s first-ever openly gay character. Not exactly the image wh which gay men like to be associated. There is a pattern wh all of the d “gay” characters, all of whom uld be scribed ntemporary terms as genr non-nformg: They’re all villas.

WHY ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’S GAY CHARACTER IS NOT AS GROUNDBREAKG AS DISNEY BELIEV

In an terview wh Bra’s Attu Magaze, Condon revealed that he will make his mark on the Disney legacy by allowg years of subtext to fally e to the surface, prentg the first “nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie, ” the director said. READ MORE: Cate Blanchett Remds You Why She’s A Gay In Wh Powerhoe Drag Bar Lip Sync — Watch.

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

Condon, who unts Sir Ian McKellen as a good iend, is openly gay. Even if the moment wreaks of tokenism, is still a historic tone for Disney to regnize a gay character out loud. ”In an immediate rponse, Mic analyzed the potential pfalls of Le Fou shoulrg the burn of gay reprentatn this film (he's very much a sikick and a source of ic relief) fans have long speculated that many other Disney characters, cludg Frozen's Elsa (a theory Ida Menzel supports) and Brave's Merida, may be gay, but makg Le Fou's sexualy apparently explic will set the film and the Beast is theaters March 17.

And, now, looks like the pany will do jt that wh Bety and the the April issue of Attu, director Bill Condon nfirmed the live-actn adaptatn of Bety and the Beast would have an openly gay 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. Disney's Bety and the Beast remake will quietly troduce the stud's first ever gay character, but there's a reason 's ed such a furore.

When the news first broke that Bety and the Beast would feature Disney’s first gay character, LeFou (Josh Gad), me as a shock to many.

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

However, the cln of the stud’s first major, nonilly gay character means that this film has taken on a polil life of s own - perhaps more so than director Bill Condon anticipated. There is reason to hope that the “exclively gay” subplot is handled wh taste and rpect.

'BETY AND THE BEAST' DIRECTOR REVEALS DISNEY'S FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER

Live-actn Bety and the Beast director Bill Condon, an openly gay man, said that for Ashman, the film “was a metaphor for AIDS. The ntext adds a new layer to the song, which ntas lyrics such as “we don’t like what we don’t unrstand / fact sr , ” explas why the film has drawn such affectn om the LGBT muny, particularly gay men who intified wh the feelgs of beg ostracized for beg different. Therefore, is hard to fathom that they would allow their first openly gay character to be ltle more than a bumblg stereotype, particularly as part of Ashman’s legacy.

WHY DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER MATTERS

Disney has long drawn om the gay muny for their villas; for example, The Ltle Mermaid’s Ursula was based on the drag queen Dive. After all, too often gay characters are rced to punchl or lispg villas.

“POLILLY CORRECT” SNOW WHE PHOTOS SPARK BACKLASHPHOTOS POSTED BY THE DAILY MAIL STIRRED UP IRE ONLE FRIDAY.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 14, 2023AXELLE/BER-GRIFFSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONCE UPON A TIME, A DISNEY LIVE-ACTN REMAKE SPARKED BACKLASH. NO, THIS WASN’T THE RACIST DISURSE AROUND THE LTLE MERMAID, OR BATE OVER POTENTIALLY QUEER BETY AND THE BEAST CHARACTERS, BUT NEWFOUND OUTRAGE ABOUT THE UPG REIMAGG OF SNOW WHE STARRG RACHEL ZEGLER.IT ALL STARTED WH A RECENT DAILY MAIL ARTICLE FEATURG WHAT THE PUBLITN SAID WERE SET PHOTOS OM THE FILM PUBLISHED UNR THE HEADLE, “EXCLUSIVE: SNOW WHE AND THE SEVEN... POLILLY-CORRECT COMPANNS? FIRST PICTUR OF NEW LIVE-ACTN REMAKE OF DISNEY CLASSIC SHOWS STAND- PRCS WALKG WH DIVERSE BAND OF MERRY MEN AND WOMEN AFTER ROW OVER G DWARF ACTORS.”THE OUTLET PUBLISHED SHOTS PURPORTEDLY PTURED ON THURSDAY OM THE MOVIE’S UK SET. THEY SHOW MULTIPLE ACTORS, SEEMGLY SNOW WHE’S WHIMSILLY NAMED NFIDANTS, AS DIFFERENT “GENRS, ETHNICI, AND HEIGHTS,” WHICH UPSET CERTA RNERS OF THE TER. THE SNOW WHE THE PHOTOS IS NOTABLY NOT ZEGLER OF WT SI STORY AND THE UPG HUNGER GAM PREQUEL, WHO ANNOUNCED, PER COLLIR, THAT SHE HAD PLETED FILMG ON THE PROJECT JULY 2022.A DISNEY SOURCE TOLD VF THAT WHILE THE ARE NOT OFFICIAL PHOTOS, THEY ARE OM THE PRODUCTN, WH STAND-S FOR SOME ST MEMBERS. THE DAILY MAIL TOLD VF STANDS BY S STORY.THE SNOW WHE REMAKE IS DIRECTED BY MARC WEBB, AND STARS GAL GADOT AS THE EVIL QUEEN AND TONY WNER ANDREW BURNAP. IT WILL REPORTEDLY CLU SONGS OM THE ORIGAL 1937 FILM, AS WELL AS NEW ON PENNED BY BENJ PASEK AND JT PL, BT KNOWN FOR THE MILS DEAR EVAN HANSEN, AND THE GREATT SHOWMAN.SCE PRODUCTN ON THE PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED, HAS WEATHERED NTROVERSY. PETER DKLAGE PREVLY LLED THE STORY “FUCKG BACKWARD” FOR S POTENTIAL PICTN OF DWARFISM. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE, A DISNEY SPOKPERSON REPLIED WH THE FOLLOWG: “TO AVOID RERCG STEREOTYP OM THE ORIGAL ANIMATED FILM, WE ARE TAKG A DIFFERENT APPROACH WH THE SEVEN CHARACTERS AND HAVE BEEN NSULTG WH MEMBERS OF THE DWARFISM MUNY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARG MORE AS THE FILM HEADS TO PRODUCTN AFTER A LENGTHY VELOPMENT PERD.”ZEGLER HERSELF TOLD VANY FAIR LAST OCTOBER: “PEOPLE ARE MAKG THE JOK ABOUT OURS BEG THE PC SNOW WHE, WHERE ’S LIKE, YEAH, IS—BEE NEED THAT. IT’S AN 85-YEAR-OLD RTOON, AND OUR VERSN IS A REHG STORY ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS A FUNCTN BEYOND ‘SOMEDAY MY PRCE WILL COME.’”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPMOST POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSONTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOSAVANNAH WALSH

LeFou’s feelgs for Gaston also have e off to some as yet another story of a gay man pg after a straight man, another stereotyped role. However, what will ultimately ci if LeFou is an offensive riture or a sensively handled character is if he is Disney’s only gay character, or merely the first. A more wispread mpaign to have the character of Poe Dameron Disney-owned Star Wars be gay, as well as romance fellow lead Fn, has even drawn support om Lusfilm employed thors.

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

Poe Dameron might be revealed as gay Star Wars Episo VIII: The Last Jedi (hey, the shippers n dream). If this don’t seem to matter to you, if your first stct is to say “what do matter if they’re gay or straight, ” please nsir the noise that was generated when Pixar’s Fdg Dory appeared to show a lbian uple. ” While the ncerns about the choice to make LeFou gay are all valid ncerns—the bate over bad reprentatn vs.

Next: Bety and the Beast Director Says Gay Character Reactn Is ‘Overblown’.