In the upcoming movie Beauty and the Beast, there is discussion about one of the characters being openly gay. The character everyone is buzzing about is Gaston’s chubby, fun-loving side kick, Lefou.
I think this is great and should be welcomed always whether it be in the music industry, film and etc. The world is not black and white anymore and we should always be open to diversity. The movie is to be released on Mar. 17th and I am definitely looking forward to seeing it with friends and family.
But unfortunately, not everyone is as welcoming about the idea of there being an openly gay character in the movie. Based on an article from USA Today, a theater in Henagar, Alabama refuses to screen the film beacuse of the character Lefou and his sexual orientation.
According to an article on Buzzfeed, Josh Gad who will be playing as the Lefou character, never actually stated anything pertaining to his sexuality. It is expressed through a song and dance that take place throughout the movie and maybe a subtle scene. But because the movie is not out yet, there are few details pertaining to the topic.
Director Bill Condon was reported saying, “LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston. He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings.”
I am so happy that Disney is introducing this so that way the younger generations can be exposed to this as early as possible. Acceptance is such a key thing to learn early on in life because it opens so many doors for not only yourself but others around you.
Gad is very excited to play this role and really give his own personal twist on the character. “For me it was important to add a dimension to him and there is a moment in the film that I think is really quiet lovely that I am very proud of and while it is subtle we hope it gets the message across,” Gad had said in an interview for the Huffington Post.
