Gay characters are allowed to be depicted onscreen in the country only if they show repentance or are portrayed in a negative light. Malaysia has strict laws against homosexuality, however, with sex between men being illegal. Josh Gad’s character in the hit film, Gaston’s sidekick LeFou, is Disney’s first-ever LGBTQ character. Last Thursday, it emerged that Malaysia’s censorship board - known as the LPF - had demanded that material be cut from the film, including a brief, three-second “gay moment” first revealed by director Bill Condon earlier this month.ĭisney responded by saying the film “has not been and will not be cut for Malaysia.” The studio postponed the movie’s release by one week, in case the Malaysians decided to reconsider their demands.
China Box Office: 'Beauty and the Beast' Opens to $45M, With Gay Moment Uncut
