‘Beauty And The Beast’ Might Be Banned By Russia For Being ‘Gay Propaganda’

Pang Chieh Ho
Updated
A scene from "Beauty and the Beast" with characters Gaston and LeFou, who secretly loves Gaston
A scene from "Beauty and the Beast" with characters Gaston and LeFou, who secretly loves Gaston

Backlash over Beauty and the Beast‘s inclusion of a gay character is apparently not limited to the U.S. According to BBC, Russia is considering banning the new Disney live-action movie to prohibit the spreading of “gay propaganda” among minors.

The gay character in question is LeFou, a secondary antagonist in Beauty and the Beast and a sidekick of Gaston, the movie’s primary villain. While LeFou was not explicitly portrayed as gay in the animated original, in the live-action version, his rapport with Gaston is interpreted as being more than platonic. The decision to cast LeFou’s feelings towards Gaston in a more amorous light has (perhaps unwittingly) provoked the ire of Russia, currently one of the places where LGBTQIA people face legal challenges and social discrimination.

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