#BeautyAndTheBeast: LeFou Is Disney’s First Gay Character, Bill Condon Explains

The live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast” is going to make Disney history by featuring the studio’s first LGBT character!

In an interview with Attitude, director Bill Condon revealed that LeFou (played by Josh Gad), the sidekick to Gaston (played by Luke Evans), will have an “exclusively gay moment” in the film.

“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,” explained Condon, who is an openly gay man himself.

He continued,  “It’s somebody who’s just realising that he has these feelings. Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its pay-off at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”

Attitude editor-in-chief Matt Cain welcomed the news as a “landmark moment” for LGBT representation. He added, “It’s only a first step towards creating a cinematic world that reflects the one in which many of us are now proud to live. But it’s a step in the right direction and I applaud Disney for being brave enough to make it.”

Although it seems like a revolutionary move on Disney’s part, many netizens don’t quite agree that LeFou would be an appropriate LGBT character to represent the community. See what they have to say:

Disney: our 1st openly gay character will be in beauty and the beast
Disney: it's lefou the comedic relief character who's bullied by gaston pic.twitter.com/640GaxG9Ap

— request to thrill my wife-guy (@milkfrogs) March 1, 2017

LeFou has a confused, unrequited crush for Gaston, who treats him badly. I'm not sure anyone should be celebrating this as a diversity win.

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 1, 2017

https://twitter.com/kaludiasays/status/836802623210668033

https://twitter.com/margaretamelia_/status/836975452954583040

disney: gay character in the new beauty and the beast movie!
me: cool
disney: its lefou!!!
me: u know wat i change my mind fuck you

— 🌸🍂disaster daiya lesbian🍁🌺 (@mypabsscarf) March 1, 2017

The highly anticipated film centres on the journey of Belle (played by Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful, and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast (played by Dan Stevens) in his castle. It also stars Ewan McGregor as Lumiere; Ian McKellen as Cogsworth; and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts.

“Beauty and the Beast” is slated for release on 17th March 2017.

Watch LeFou sing his heart out for Gaston in the promo clip below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt1ldI2NhaY&feature=youtu.be

What do you think about Disney’s first gay character? Let us know in the comments below!

Sources: Slate, Attitude, Indiewire.

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