Disney Downplays LGBT Angle Amid ‘Beast’ Backlash, but Can’t Dodge Gay Cartoon Kiss
Amidst the controversy over a ground-breaking gay scene in Disney’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast movie, director Bill Condon and cast member Josh Gad appear to be pulling back on previously bold statements to the media about creating an “exclusively gay moment.”
It’s a moment many people of faith are already protesting. More than 49,000 have signed an online petition to “tell Disney no to LGBT agenda in Beauty and the Beast.”
Just recently, Condon told Attitude, a European gay lifestyle magazine, about what he called “a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie” between the characters Gaston and LeFou, played by Gad.
“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston, and on another day, wants to kiss Gaston” he said. Condon further explained that Gad “makes something really subtle and delicious out of it.”
Yet on Thursday night during the movie’s world premiere, Gad and Condon gave conflicting messages. On one hand, Gad told USA Today that he’s “really proud” to play LeFou, and Condon described the gay scene as a “wonderful gay moment.”
Then, Gad pointed out, however, that “there was nothing in the script that said ‘LeFou is gay.'”
Condon added “I think [LeFou’s sexuality] has been a little overstated.”
Evangelist Franklin Graham is calling on Christians to stop supporting Disney’s “LGBT agenda” and boycott the movie when it comes out March 17.
One locally-owned drive-in movie theater in Alabama told Facebook fans that it will not show the movie.
“When companies continually force their views on us, we need to take a stand,” said the owners.
Also this week, Disney aired its first on-screen gay kiss on a children’s cartoon show.
In Star vs. the Forces of Evil, the producers show several same-sex couples kissing during a concert scene while the band sings the song “Best Friends.”
OneMillionMoms.com has launched a petition over it.
While this may be the first on-screen same-sex kiss, Disney has also included a homosexual relationship in its TV show Good Luck Charlie.
And the American Family Association points this out too: “The creators of Moana mentioned in an interview with a liberal media source that they wouldn’t rule out an LGBT Disney princess.” {eoa}
