This week it was announced that the highly anticipated live-action film, "Beauty and The Beast" will feature a gay character. This character? Lafou, Gaston's doting and dedicated sidekick. As if the signs were not there already in the animated version, Disney has made a bold move in deciding to officially give this character an arc by presenting him as gay and most likely attracted to our favorite bad guy, Gaston.
There were outcries of injustice in the making of this character's sexuality that of a gay man.
"Why do we need to put gay people in EVERYTHING?!"
"This will be hard for parents to explain for to their children."
"I cannot believe Disney supports LGBT! Not Seeing this!"
These were just a few of the very real comments I read. Now, of course, this is such a sensitive subject. Hasn't the LGBT community had it too good for too long? Well do not fear, I am here to address all of your concerns.
First and foremost, let me assure you that your children will most definitely turn gay after watching a gay character. I mean, that's why we're straight right? Because we saw it on TV so obviously. Secondly, you should absolutely boycott this film, it's definitely not made for children! Mind you a woman falls in love with an animal, but *dramatic gasp* a gay character? Too far, Disney. Too far. How could Disney support LGBT rights? All of their films and parks promote acceptance and love, but man this is really too much!
...really people? What year is it?
It's about time Disney introduces a gay character. If they weren't going to, somebody else was. The Disney company is inclusive, having diverse employees, and even having "gay days" at the Disney Parks. This is a company that celebrates differences, not one that objectifies those who are different than us. A child will not be "poisoned" if they see a gay character on television because if they have been raised correctly they will not see anything different about them. Because at the end of the day, nothing is different about the LGBT community. This does not change a story line either, as a lot of people have argued: "Oh but they're changing the original!". No, they're not. The main storyline will not change. However, aspects WILL. Maurice is not an inventor in this film, but I have heard no complaints about that. Going from animated to live-action, especially when making a film 25 years after its debut, there's going to be some storyline changes. This is what keeps the film interesting and encourages people to see it.
Stop disguising homophobia as, "Well I don't care if people are gay, I just don't see why it needs to be in movies!" That's problematic thinking. Heterosexually drips from movies, even when a romantic relationship is not needed, we will automatically form one between the male and female character. We're conditioned to and it's simply not right that the LGBT community does not get representation they deserve. This role, I'm assuming, will not be a huge one, this scene will most likely go over children's heads, and it may not end well for Lafou's heart. But representation is key, this is what progress looks like. Perhaps the first outwardly gay character should not have been named "the fool," but, Josh Gad is an incredibly talented and accepting actor, and I do not think he would let this role become offensive in any way. This is what progress looks like; planting little seeds along the way to something big. The original The Beauty and The Beast songwriter, Howard Ashman was actually a gay man who died of HIV before the films release. What an honor to him that there will now be some form of LGBT present in this film.
If you are so offended to see this film because it features a gay character who will not even play an extremely integral role to the story, don't bother going. Why would you object yourself to something you oppose so fiercely. The LGBT community deserves nothing but respect and accurate portrayal in the media, and I, like so many others, am definitely here to see Disney give that.
