Beauty and the Beast’s Gay Moment: Director Sets the Record Straight

Thescreescore – Bill Condon, director of the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast, has revisited the controversy surrounding LeFou’s "exclusively gay moment," asserting that its presentation was inaccurate. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Condon, who is openly gay, clarified that the moment was intended as a subtle grace note within the film’s broader inclusivity, not a groundbreaking declaration.

The scene, featuring LeFou (Josh Gad) dancing briefly with another man, Stanley, during the film’s finale, sparked debate upon release. While some conservative groups protested the inclusion of any LGBTQIA+ representation, many within the LGBTQIA+ community felt the moment was underwhelming and tokenistic, especially given Condon’s initial comments. The film was even banned in some countries, including Russia, due to the scene.

Condon emphasized that his intention was never to portray the moment as revolutionary. He explained that he sought to humanize LeFou, traditionally portrayed as Gaston’s punching bag in the animated classic. He perceived a "masochistic attraction" within LeFou’s devotion to Gaston, an unrequited love that he hoped to resolve by giving LeFou a potential romantic connection.

"It was just the completion of a story that started with LeFou pulling Gaston into a hug and saying, ‘Too much?’ and Gaston looking around nervously and saying, ‘Yeah,’" Condon elaborated. He also pointed to the "gay sensibility" present in Howard Ashman’s original score as inspiration for expanding upon the characters.

Josh Gad himself has echoed similar sentiments, stating in his memoir that LeFou was not the representation the queer community had been waiting for. He questioned the notion of celebrating a "quasi-villainous Disney sidekick dancing with a man for half a second" as a cinematic milestone.

Ultimately, Condon believes the controversy stemmed from the inaccurate pre-release portrayal of the moment. While his intentions to enrich LeFou’s character were well-meaning, the execution and subsequent promotion left many LGBTQIA+ fans feeling underwhelmed and misrepresented. Despite the backlash, Condon praised Disney for refusing to cut the scene in any territory where Beauty and the Beast was released.