“If I were gay, I would definitely be mad.”

Josh Gad talks about the full story of the gay LeFou controversy in this article Beauty and the Beast. Ahead of the release of Disney’s live-action remake in 2017, director Bill Condon teased in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the film would occur “an exclusively gay moment” for LeFou. Despite expectations that LeFou would be Disney’s first openly gay character, this is the case It was just a glimpse of LeFou dancing with another man while Beauty and the Beastis over. Josh Gad later expressed regret at how it was handled.

In Gad’s new memoirs We trust in Gad (above Weekly entertainment), he goes into detail about his regret and frustration over LeFou being touted as a groundbreaking figure for LGBTQIA+ representation. He explains that he doesn’t feel like LeFou is a positive representation of the queer community and that he understands the negative reception of the film’s disappointing moment. Gad emphasizes that it should be a “Sweet and harmless moment” but in the end it was like that“both too little and not enough”. Check out the excerpt from Gad’s memoirs below:

I for one didn’t exactly get the feeling that LeFou was the one the queer community was eagerly waiting for. I can’t imagine a Pride celebration honoring the “cinematic turning point” where a quasi-villainous Disney sidekick dances with a man for half a second. I mean, if I were gay, I’d definitely be pissed.

What this means for Beauty and the Beast

Several mistakes were made

Although 2017 Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney’s better live-action remakes and is undoubtedly marred by the way the LeFou controversy was handled in both the film and advertising. In his memoir, Gad explains how there were behind-the-scenes discussions about LeFou’s loyalty and feelings for Gaston (Luke Evans). It was agreed that LeFou’s devotion to Gaston was in no way romantic or sexual Beauty and the BeastLeFou’s creative team never seriously discussed exploring LeFou’s sexuality.

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As such, Gad agreed to the dance moment because he felt it was right “cheeky” And “harmless.” Gad believes that if this path had not existed, it would have remained that way “We pointed this out and apparently congratulated ourselves.” Condon, who is gay, felt pressured “to share his pride in some form of representation in film” And “It felt terrible” about the impact of his comment. In addition to accusations of queerbaiting, the commentary led to boycotts and the film even being banned in some countries, although that didn’t stop the remake from becoming a $1.2 billion box office hit.

His reflection goes beyond Beauty and the Beast

Gad’s comments further illustrate the mistreatment of him Beauty and the Beast Character. If LeFou was going to be gay, the film should have done a lot more to explore that, and he shouldn’t have been teased about being gay in the first place. Gad, Condon and everyone involved seem to agree on this. The Beauty and the Beast Controversy is also a reminder of how important queer representation is and that a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment doesn’t equate to an authentic portrayal.

Source: In Gad We Trust (via EW), THR

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This live-action remake of a classic Disney fairy tale tells the love story of two misfits. When Belle agrees to live in the enchanted castle of a monstrous prince in exchange for her father’s release, she is initially wary of the beast, but a romance blossoms between them.

Release date

March 17, 2017

Duration

129 minutes

director

Bill Condon

writer

Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos