Lately Disney seems to be pumping out live action remakes of their classics over the last few years.

The latest of the live action films that is set to be released March 17, is a tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast.

It also happens to be one of my favorites.

Some brows were raised when a clip from the song ‘Gaston’ was released and it featured LeFou, who in this version of the film, is openly gay.

In the classic film, LeFou is Gaston’s trusty sidekick. In the clip, there is singing and dancing and everyone in the scene is admiring Gaston.

I don’t see why there was a problem with the character in that particular scene. What I saw was writers just adding a bit of, let’s say, flare to the character.

I don’t see anything wrong with having an openly gay character in a classic film like this one.

In an interview with the director of the film, Bill Condon said, “LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston. He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”

It’s towards the end of the film, where all the actual controversy came from, where LeFou briefly dances with another male character. This is the moment that made Russia restrict children under the age of 16 from seeing the film, and one drive-in-theater in Alabama, not to screen it.

When I saw all these reports of people being furious on Facebook, and other countries doing this, my only question was why?

Why is everyone getting so upset over the simple fact that one man is simply dancing with another man?

Why are you all so mad at the fact that there is a character that just has a bit of glow to him.

In Ewan McGregor’s words, “It’s just like…he’s a gay character. It’s 2017 for f**** sake.”

I don’t understand why people feel the need to go off on Disney and boycott the film. Yes, I understand people may not want their children to ask questions about why a man is dancing with another man, but that doesn’t mean go and boycott the film. 

Just because you don’t have an answer doesn’t mean you should prevent your child from enjoying something like this.

As a child that grew up in the late 90s and fell in love with the classics, I’m excited to see this film be brought to life – literally.

If I remember correctly, the theme of the film is to not judge a book by its cover, so it baffles me at the fact that people are judging this film by one subtle gay moment in the film.

It’s one thing to feel strongly about gay rights, but it’s another thing to prevent your child from seeing a childhood film, one that teaches valuable lessons that they use in their daily life. I just can’t seem to understand where certain people are coming from with this.

I do understand and accept that different people have different views and sometimes it has to do with their religion, but I just can’t seem to figure any of this out.

Children now, know more than we do about these things. I’m sure if they see a man hugging or dancing with another man, it won’t scar them for life.  If the film had a man kissing another man, that may be something to be upset about. But it’s as simple as a dance, not a kiss. So there should be nothing to be afraid of.

Ian McKellen, who plays Cogsworth in the film had said, “For people to complain about it and say they don’t want children to see it is absolute rubbish, I know people who don’t like gay people and make a fuss. It’s a very small moment in the movie, no one should get too excited.”

And I agree, for people to be so thick-headed, and not giving the film a chance, they are missing out on something that can be wonderfully great and open a child’s mind up to what they may want to do one day.

I know, I’m a television major, and will always stick up for the arts, but in all honesty, the magic of film can inspire children to go and do what they want and inspire them to be themselves, especially with this film. This film teaches children to be themselves, and to never judge anyone for what they look like, or how they act.

For children, these classic films have life lessons that even at the adult age of twenty-one, I can still learn from. Honestly, if a parent isn’t going to let their child see this film because of something as minuscule as LeFou dancing with another man, then I don’t know what else to tell you.

Hopefully, people will get over their own idiocy, and let their children go see the film, and maybe if adults go see it as well, we can all learn once again why we were their guest in the first place.

Please, go see the film, and remember the easier times of life, and be a child again.

Be their guest, and put their service to the test.

Try to not judge this particular “book” by its cover, and learn to enjoy life, like a child again.