Russia considers banning Beauty and the Beast remake thanks to its 'exclusively gay moment'
Disney’s live action remake of Beauty and the Beast could fall foul of Russian laws prohibiting the spread of ‘gay propaganda’ thanks to its “exclusively gay moment”.
According to reports, Russian officials are under pressure to check if the new film breaches the law with culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, remarking that action would be taken. Another MP also described the film as “shameless propaganda of sin”.
Earlier this week the film’s director Bill Condon explained the plot line featuring Gaston’s sidekick LeFou, played by Josh Gad. “LeFou us somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” said Condon.
“He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realising that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its pay-off at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”
The movie is due for release on Thursday 16 March in Russia but United Russia MP, Vitaly Milonov, has urged the culture minister to review the film and ensure it complies with the law and “take measures to totally ban” it if there was “elements of propaganda of homosexuality”.
His colleague Alexander Sholokhov added if the film violated Russian law then it should be banned with Russian director, Pavel Derevyanko telling state-run TV station Russia 24 that he would “not take my kids to this movie.”
“As soon as we get a copy of the film with relevant paperwork for distribution, we will consider it according to law,” assured Medinsky.
Russia’s 2013 legislation, which describes homosexuality as “non-traditional sexual relations”, has long come under fire from human rights activists. In 1993, homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia with the country removing it from a list of ‘psychiatric disorders’ in 1999.