There's been a lot of controversy surrounding the "Beauty and The Beast" remake since it was announced that it would feature a gay character. For those who don't know, LeFou, Gaston's clumsy sidekick, has long been speculated to be a gay man. Disney embraced this in the 2017 live action film and decided LeFou would be canonically gay.
Many members of the LGBTQ community and their allies are outraged, and understandably so.
Don't get me wrong, having a canon LGBTQ character in a beloved Disney film is a step in the right direction. But don't ask us to sing Disney's praises.
LeFou's character is a tiny part of the story.His relationship with Gaston is unrequited at best and abusive at worst.
This isn't what the LGBTQ community is asking for when they call for representation in the media.
As a nation that strives for equality and inclusion, we need to be fighting for equal representation of all cultures and walks of life. We need to represent healthy, modern relationships in our media. We need to be showing children and people of all ages that people of all orientations deserve to pursue fulfilling, kind, loving, healthy relationships.
LeFou does not show us that. In fact, he pairs the ideas of villain and homosexuality - which is the exact opposite of what this community needs.
Please, Disney, we are asking to see ourselves on screen. We are asking for the culture and world we live in to be represented in the movies we have grown to look up to.
Please, give us a world where we are equals. Give us a world where LGBTQ people get the same treatment and visibility as the rest of the world. Give us a world where everyone lives happily ever after.
