A privately owned drive-in theater in Alabama is refusing to show the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast because it has a gay character in it.
The new owners of the Henagar Drive-In Theater in Henagar, Ala. say they object to the Walt Disney Company forcing its liberal beliefs on moviegoers.
Disney’s new live-action version of the children’s classic Beauty and the Beast features a character, LeFou, played by actor Josh Gad.
Director Bill Condon announced this week that LeFou has “romantic feelings” for Gaston, played by Luke Evans.
Condon told Attitude Magazine that young moviegoers can expect to see an interesting sexual scene between the two men.
According to the NY Daily News, it marks the first time Disney will feature an openly gay character in a movie.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Henagar Drive-In Theater’s new management announced its decision not to show the movie when it comes out.
“It is with great sorrow that I have to tell our customers that we will not be showing Beauty and the Beast at the Henagar Drive-In when it comes out. When companies continually force their views on us we need to take a stand.”
“If I can’t sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me then we have no business showing it,” the company wrote.
The company said it is committed to showing “wholesome” “family oriented” movies that don’t include homosexuality, sex, foul language or nudity.
Earlier this week, Disney aired a scene featuring gay couples kissing in an episode of the children’s cartoon, Star vs. the Forces of Evil.
Disney is seeing furious pushback from parents who are opposed to the corporation targeting children and adolescents by deliberately exposing them to complex adult situations that they are too young to understand.
