‘Beauty and the Beast’ Director Weighs in on Infamous “Exclusively Gay Moment”

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Director Bill Condon reflects on the considerable discussion and subsequent criticism surrounding the “exclusively gay moment” in the 2017 remake of Beauty and the Beast. Released when Disney was at the height of its box office success, Beauty and the Beast was a reimagining of the cherished 1991 animated classic by Bill Condon, who is openly gay. A particularly memorable and controversial part of the film was a scene described as “exclusively gay” – LeFou (Josh Gad) sharing a dance with a man. While heavily promoted, the scene received criticism for being very short, with some feeling it represented the least Disney could do to include LGBTQ+ representation.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter about his new film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Condon discussed the famous “exclusively gay moment” remark. He playfully mentioned how short the scene was, stating, “I never said it was anything more. (Laughs.)” He then explained that the comment, which first appeared during discussions about Altitude, was exaggerated and that he never intended to suggest he was pushing boundaries, despite the film being prohibited in some nations. Condon stated:

That situation became a real mess because of a casual remark I made during an interview with a gay magazine in London. I’d intended it as a small, subtle addition, but it came across as if I was claiming to be a pioneer, which wasn’t true. That wasn’t the intention at all. I was actually pleased that some countries – I believe Russia was one of them – refused to show the film because of it. And Disney deserves credit for not editing it out anywhere. That aspect was positive. What I didn’t appreciate was how it was falsely portrayed as a significant, groundbreaking event, which ultimately left me feeling let down, as that was never my aim.

The beauty of the musical lay in how welcoming it was. [In the animated movie,] LeFou felt more like someone being used for jokes than a fully developed character, so the filmmakers gave him depth. This led to the idea that he has a somewhat self-sacrificing attraction to Gaston – that he’s the one Gaston *should* be with, considering no one else seems interested, and LeFou clearly cares for him. This element was actually present in the original work, thanks to Howard Ashman’s songwriting and the underlying queer sensibility he brought to it. It felt like a natural continuation of a moment where LeFou pulls Gaston into a hug and asks, “Too much?” and Gaston looks around worried and replies, “Yeah.”

Disney’s “Exclusively Gay Moments” Explained


Walt Disney Studios

The term “exclusively gay moment,” coined by Condon, is now used to criticize large franchises – especially Disney – for promoting LGBTQ+ representation that turns out to be very brief and insignificant. A prime example is director Joe Russo’s claim about featuring ‘the first gay character in the MCU,’ which ended up being an unnamed character with a fleeting appearance in a support group at the start of the movie. In 2022, Out Magazine even published an article titled A Brief Timeline of Disney’s 17 ‘First Gay Characters.’

Disney’s approach to supporting LGBTQ+ rights has been inconsistent and, at times, disappointing in recent years. They deserve recognition for not altering Beauty and the Beast or Eternals-the latter of which included Phastos, a gay superhero-even though this meant the films weren’t shown in certain countries. Strange World also featured a gay character, Ethan Clade, who has a crush on another boy. However, many feel this hasn’t been enough. Lately, Disney has seemed to prioritize appealing to conservative audiences, which has unfortunately meant sidelining their LGBTQ+ fans and their stories.

The quick kiss between two women in the 2022 film Lightyear continues to be discussed, as Snoop Dogg publicly disapproved of it. Because of Lightyear’s box office results and the attention it received from conservative media outlets-focusing on a mere two-second scene-Disney asked Pixar to minimize any suggestion of queer attraction for the character Riley in Inside Out 2. After Donald Trump won the 2024 election, Disney removed episodes of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and Pixar’s Disney+ series Win or Lose because they featured transgender athletes. While the idea of “an exclusively gay moment” in 2017 seemed like a step in the right direction, even eight years later, a simple scene like LeFou dancing with a man now appears to be too much for Disney.

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2025-10-04 02:45