The characters seen in Disney movies over different generations all focus on magic, suspending one’s belief in reality. The characters of these movies are cast into unique worlds of love, enchantment, and of course, dreams come true. The upcoming live-action Beauty and the Beast is no different. While we may never really meet a talking teacup or have an entire library gifted to us by a magical beast (I mean as much as I wish that last one would come true), Disney has the ability to convey real, transformative messages. Through the fantastical magic that is Disney, are we beginning to see a little more of reality reflected in these films?
Disney has begun to tackle more controversial topics, as seen in the revival of the classic animated film. Bill Condon, the openly gay director of the upcoming live-action film, Beauty and the Beast recently announced that Gaston’s sidekick LeFou, played by Josh Gad, has “a nice, exclusively gay moment” featured in the movie.
“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” reveals Condon. “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.”
This isn’t the first time Disney executives have faced the choice of making a character homosexual. Last year, a movement materialized online demanding that Elsa, the independent princess from Frozen, be given a girlfriend in the sequel. While Disney stuck to keeping Elsa single, they may be moving towards open homosexuality in future films.
While Disney has yet to embrace a lesbian princess, it’s worth pointing out their attempts to offer diverse characters. Its preschool series Doc McStuffins has an African-American girl as the central character. Disney Channel recently introduced a Latina princess named Elena. Next year, Marvel will release Black Panther, the first superhero movie to have a principally black cast. And the Disney XD television series Star vs. the Forces of Evil in recent weeks featured a cartoon same-sex kiss.
So what is Disney trying to tell us?
On one hand, this is a big-step for the company. Beauty and The Beast is a story of outsiders. Belle is seen as an outsider in her community, mocked for her desire to do something greater in her life. Beast is a monster because of his looks, cast away from society and disgraced. Now we are getting to see another character who is so desperately trying to discover himself within the confines of a strict society. This moment could allow for homosexuality to be more normalized in popular television, as it promotes not only the acceptance of people like Belle and Beast, but also people who are misunderstood like LeFou.
At the same time, if LeFou's love for the villain is unrequited, Disney may not be sending out the best message. As the henchman to Gaston, “the fool” might not have been the best character to be seen as gay. A crush on a straight man is not the message the homosexual community needs. Gay men have often been depicted as either hopelessly in love with their straight friends or preying on unsuspecting straight people. In a time when our nation is constantly in fear, is it really a good idea to reinforce those stereotypes?
The movie, which will be released to theaters on March 17, will be the only way to find out.
Societal and cultural mores are constantly changing, and entertainment companies like Disney are left to decide whether they are willing to embrace new lifestyles. This news of an “exclusively gay moment” in Beauty and the Beast illustrates the recent shift in our society’s ability to accept the world around us. Mainstream culture finally appears able to begin accepting the term “gay,” rather than attempting to hide it from the rest of their audiences. While Disney may not be screaming social change, for now, this is a step in the right direction.
