US theater declines ‘Beauty and the Beast’ over gay character
SCREENGRAB from Disney/YouTube
A drive-in movie house in Alabama has banned “Beauty and the Beast” after one of the characters appears to be queer and proud.
The New York Times reported that Henagar Drive-In, a cinema owned by a religious couple, has shunned the Disney film for contradicting the “teachings of the Bible.”
“We will not compromise on what the Bible teaches,” the Henagar Drive-In asserted in a now-deleted Facebook post on Friday. “You can feel free to come watch wholesome movies without worrying about sex, nudity, homosexuality and foul language.”
The announcement got mixed reactions from Disney fans and religious Facebook users.
Josh Gad, who plays LeFou in the live-action classic, has a “gay moment” at the end of the film. Le Fou is a modest and effeminate man who is obviously infatuated with antagonist Gaston (Luke Evans), who will do everything to steal Belle’s heart.
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Director Bill Condon told UK’s Attitude, “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. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”
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The film also stars “Harry Potter” alumna Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ewan McGregor and Kevin Kline.
“Beauty and the Beast” will show in Philippine cinemas on Thursday, March 16z. Gianna Francesca Catolico /ra
