By now you've probably seen or read about This Modest Mom's blog post explaining why she and her family decided to cancel their $6000 Disney vacation because the live action Beauty and the Beast movie is going to include an exclusively gay character. If not, maybe you've heard about the announcement that The Henegar Drive-In Theatre in Alabama made stating that they would not be showing Beauty and the Beast, for the same reason. I'm sure they're not the only ones boycotting this, it just seems like they've been the ones given the most publicity. The vilification of homosexuality has been something that has bothered me about modern Christianity for a while now, but I've never been able to find the right words. I'm still not sure I completely have, but I'm going to give it a try.
My biggest question for those boycotting Beauty and the Beast is, since when did homosexuality become the greatest sin of all? I'm really hoping that's not a general belief of most Christians, but it seems to me (and I could be totally wrong) that homosexuality has been vilified by the modern church more than most other sins. I don't know why homosexuality has been condemned far more often and with more animosity than other sins. Is it because it seems to be more prevalent, or at least more talked about? I've searched for Bible passages stating that homosexuality is the absolute worst sin that can ever be committed...and I can't find any. Galatians 5:19-21 states,
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Homosexuality isn't explicitly stated in this passage, but it would fall under the category of sexual immorality, along with premarital sex, adultery, etc. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 lists a similar slew of sins that are considered morally wrong.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
This passage specifies homosexuality, but it also talks about thievery. So...if Le Fou's sexual orientation makes Beauty and the Beast boycott-worthy, what about movies with characters that are thieves, greedy, covetous, envious? Should Aladdin and Tangled be boycotted as well since golden boys Aladdin and Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert are straight up thieves? Mother Gothel is a kidnapper who coveted Rapunzel's hair, and the Stabbington brothers were definitely guilty of greed. People, this is a children's movie. And let's be honest, in the original Beauty and the Beast, was there or not at least a little bit of suspicion that Le Fou could maybe be gay? He was definitely a little bit flirty and idolized Gaston. The live action movie kind of just expounded on that premise. I'm not even going to touch on the whole bestiality issue...nobody cares about Belle falling in love with a water buffalo because she saw the true man that was inside. Is it really even true bestiality if the beast was a man at some point?
Why are Christians so quick to judge people who are homosexual, but say nothing against adulterers, and thieves? Let's not forget that Romans 3:10 states, "as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one," and Romans 3:23 reminds us, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Has it been considered that publicly boycotting Beauty and the Beast kind of comes across as a slap in the face to the LGBTQ+ community. Essentially, it's saying that the story of redemption of the Beast, the story of Belle showing unconditional love towards him regardless of his appearance, doesn't matter because there's a gay character. Le Fou isn't even the main character, but yet the fact that he's gay apparently spoils the entire movie. Now, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the lesson that Beauty and the Beast teaches us has nothing to do with Le Fou's idolization and attraction towards Gaston. It's been a while since I've seen the original movie, but what I got from the movie is that everyone is worth love and respect...regardless of their outward appearance, because it's what's inside that matters. What I learned was that we shouldn't judge people based off of our first impressions of them, because first impressions may not be an accurate depiction of a person's true character. And yet, none of that matters, and the movie isn't worth seeing, because Le Fou isn't heterosexual.
What message does that portray to the LGBTQ+ community? Because to me, it seems like it's telling them is that Christians want NOTHING to do with them. It shows them that they are definitely not welcome in our churches, and it shows them that we definitely don't agree with the true message of Beauty and the Beast. Sure, the church will accept adulterers and people on their third marriages, but Le Fou...you're not welcome. To my friends in the LGBTQ+ community, I am so sorry. My heart breaks for you, because you truly have not been shown the love of Christ. If the LGBTQ+ community is the Beast, the church has been acting more like Gaston than like Belle. Like Gaston, we are too willing to grab our pitchforks, rile up a crowd, and scream "kill the beast!" without stopping to even get to know the person we are rising up against. Unlike Belle, we are unwilling to look past the outward appearance, the so called "ugliness," and see the person that is inside.
Sure, the point can be made that the boycotts and animosity has gone both ways. Both sides have a us vs. them mentality and that's really dangerous. People are people, and are deserving of love and respect, regardless of sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, etc. If you think about it, even Jesus was boycotted against. As John 1:11 states, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." Even though he was Jewish, even though he was their Messiah, he was not a popular person among the Jews. Isaiah 53:3 tells us that "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." The Pharisees HATED Jesus, frequently plotted his death, and successfully riled up an angry crowd to condemn him to death. Did he boycott back, gather the disciples to protest at the temple, or refuse to be anywhere near them? No. He loved them as only he could. But there are some Christians that don't even attempt to do the same. Guess what, we're supposed to be discriminated against. We were warned that this would happen. John 15:18-20 tells us,
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours."
The world might hate us, but they're going to remember how we treat them and respond to their hatred. As Maya Angelou said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” They especially won't forget how you make them feel if you claim the name of Jesus and then act as if he never existed.
