The headlines are clear: Disney’s first ‘exclusively gay moment’ hits screens in Beauty and the Beast…

Beauty and the Beast was originally an animated musical film released by Disney in 1991. It was a massive commercial and critical success. The movie formed an important link in the chain of movies that formed the “Renaissance” period the company experienced in the 1990s.

It topped out at over $400 million in the movie theaters and won two Academy Awards. It was nominated for a third — Best Picture — but lost out to The Silence of the Lambs.

Now, Disney is hoping to cash in on a string of recent successes it has had. It has transformed several classic titles from its catalogue into live-action versions, like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book.

Featuring Emma Watson as Belle, the film promises to capture our hearts again with the romance between the misunderstood beauty and the cold-hearted Beast.

ADDING MODERN TWISTS

But reports have surfaced on a new addition to this legendary classic. The Telegraph reports:

It comes after years of pressure from some fans, who have petitioned for more represention of the LGBTQ community on screen.

Matt Cain, editor-in-chief of Attitude magazine, said: “It may have been a long time coming but this is a watershed moment for Disney.

“By representing same-sex attraction in this short but explicitly gay scene, the studio is sending out a message that this is normal and natural – and this is a message that will be heard in every country of the world, even countries where it’s still socially unacceptable or even illegal to be gay.

The character who is the recipient of this first-ever exclusively gay moment is LeFou. LeFou is Gaston’s right-hand man. Gaston, of course, is the super-macho, sexist, and entitled villain of the film.

LeFou is Gaston’s short, fat, silly sidekick who supports Gaston in everything he does:

With this innovation LeFou joins the ranks of some of the greatest characters in movie history.

Like Buffalo Bill, for example:

Bill is the villain in Silence of the Lambs. He kidnapped women, killed them, then used their skin to make a human body suit for himself. He way also gay.

So was Baron Vladimir Harkonnen from Dune:

Baron Harkonnen, as one website puts it, is known for loving on his male slaves. Sometimes, afterward, he eats them.

Lastly is Colonel Frank Fitts, from American Beauty:

He had a thing for the movie’s hero, Lester Burnham. Frank came on to Lester. But when Lester broke the news to Colonel Fitts that he wasn’t actually gay, Fitts murdered Lester in his kitchen with a handgun.

Disney may not be going overboard, but at least they have made a concession that the LGBT camp is happy about.

As the editor of the gay lifestyle magazine Attitude said, the studio is sending out a message that this is normal and natural behavior.

At least for movie villains.