Josh Gad expressed that he never intended to portray LeFou as gay, highlighting that the character was more about admiration than romantic affection, saying, "I for one certainly didn't exactly feel like LeFou was who the queer community had been wistfully waiting for." He felt that the subtle implication of LeFou's sexuality received overly significant scrutiny, especially against the backdrop of its minimal representation, adding that it felt inappropriate to consider this limited portrayal a milestone for LGBTQ+ representation.
Director Bill Condon described LeFou as having an "exclusive gay moment" in the film while discussing its context. Gad conveyed in his memoir that discussing the character's nature led to the conclusion that LeFou was simply infatuated with Gaston rather than in love, a sentiment that seemed to only further aggravate the LGBTQ+ community's response to the representation. Gad remarked, "I can't quite imagine a Pride celebration in honor of the 'cinematic watershed moment' involving a quasi-villainous Disney sidekick dancing with a man for half a second."
In the memoir, Gad detailed the creatives' discussions about LeFou’s relationship with Gaston, emphasizing that while the character demonstrated admiration for Gaston, it was not framed as a romantic attraction. He asserted that this distinction was crucial and central to their interpretation of LeFou, reinforcing the notion that the portrayal aimed at showing loyalty rather than any romantic or sexual connection.
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