Disney Unveils LeFou As First Openly Gay Character

”No one fights like Gaston”!? How about, “No one comes to terms with and openly accepts their sexuality like Gaston’s sidekick LeFou!” Yeah, you’re right it doesn’t have as much ring. But it’s accurate! LeFou in the upcoming live action Beauty and the Beast will be Disney’s first explicitly gay character!

Bill Condon, director said as much to Attitude, and hinted at the relationship between LeFou and Gaston, one a little more complex than the doting goon in the original animated version.

Says Condon –

”LeFou is somebody who one one day wants to be Gaston and on another day want to kiss Gaston….It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh [Gad] makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”

Exciting! Of course, this isn’t the first time Disney has flirted with having a gay character. Finding Dory last year made headlines for casually having a lesbian couple in one of its shots, while the directors of The Little Mermaid were always open about Ursula’s design being based on drag performer and John Waters regular Divine.

But this is the first time a Disney character has been not only openly gay, but discovering himself. This is a strong choice for a Disney character, and lends the once disposable sidekick LeFou with a greater role than ever before.

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