Beauty and the Beast features Disney's first gay character

Walt Disney Co's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, one of the most anticipated movies of the year, will feature a gay character for the first time in Disney's history, according to the film's director.

News greeted with mixed reaction online

Angela Moon Thomson Reuters Posted: Mar 02, 2017 9:48 AM EST | Last Updated: March 2, 2017

Josh Gad, left, and Luke Evans appear in a scene from Disney's anticipated live-action Beauty and the Beast remake, which director Bill Condon has revealed will include 'a nice, exclusively gay moment.' (Walt Disney Studios)

Walt Disney Co's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast,one of themost anticipated movies of the year, will feature a gaycharacter for the first time in Disney's history, according tothe film's director.

Director Bill Condon said in an interview with Attitude, aBritish gay lifestyle magazine, that LeFou, the goofy sidekickto the film's primary villain, Gaston, will come to terms withhis sexuality. The character is played by actor Josh Gad.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE - #BeautyAndTheBeast set to make @Disney history with gay character:https://t.co/mBOhP3gSxu pic.twitter.com/t1KtFRFB3P
—@AttitudeMag

"LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and onanother day wants to kiss Gaston," Condon said.

"And that's what has its payoff at the end, which I don'twant to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in aDisney movie," he told Attitude.

'LeFou (played by Josh Gad, at right) is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston (Luke Evans, left) and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,' said Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon. (Walt Disney Studios)

Social media reaction was mixed. While some people welcomedDisney's move to be more inclusive, many were disappointed withthe choice of Disney's first gay character.

Lefou is literally "the idiot, the fool" and he's best friends with the villian. Equating his sexuality with those characteristics is meh.
—@xwithmywoes

This is a step and it is progress. But we need strong and heroic characters to represent the LGBTQ community.
—@xwithmywoes

Disney's making its first gay character with LeFou and he's a clownish sidekick who exists to prop up his straight best friend. Great job.
—@stillgray

big ups 2 disney! first gay character is a mincing sycophant named, literally, "the fool." ground hitherto unbroken in literature & theatre. pic.twitter.com/6l8ne0OReV
—@benkling

Disney was not immediately available for a comment.

The remake of Disney's 1991 animated movie, starring EmmaWatson and Dan Stevens, hits U.S. theaters on March 17. Thereare already hundreds of sold-out showtimes, according to movieticketing service Fandango.

Dan Stevens stars as Beast and Emma Watson as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. (Walt Disney Studios)

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Beauty and the Beast features Disney's first gay character

News greeted with mixed reaction online

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