Disney said Wednesday it will not be cutting an “exclusively gay moment” from Beauty and the Beast for its release in Malaysia, spurning a request from Malaysian authorities. That means the film most likely will not be seen in the majority Muslim country.
Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board had requested the studio remove at least four minutes from the live-action movie involving a homosexual character named LeFou, who has an unrequited gay crush on Gaston, the film’s villain.
The censors initially approved the film’s release in theaters following their submission for parts of the film to be cut, but Disney’s refusal to comply with the request has held up its release, likely in perpetuum.
The chairman of Malaysia’s censorship board, Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid initially said that he did not know why the film’s release was delayed, as they had already approved the movie for a P13 (which is equivalent to a PG-13 in the US) release after requesting the cut of the “gay moment”. Under the P13 rating, scenes promoting sexuality are forbidden.
“We have approved it but there is a minor cut involving a gay moment. It is only one short scene but it is inappropriate because many children will be watching this movie,” Abdul Halim said to the AP.
Beauty and the Beast first courted controversy after its director Bill Condon revealed last month that LeFou is openly homosexual. Condon told Allure magazine that the LeFou / Gaston subplot contains an “exclusively gay moment.”
Disney’s announcement follows our report of the film’s delay in Malaysia, where it was originally planned for screenings on March 16. Tickets sold by two of the nation’s largest cinema chains, TGV and Golden Screen Cinema, are being refunded to viewers.
Majority Muslim Malaysia is notorious for its censorship of films shown in theaters and on TV. Swear words and romantic scenes—even kissing–are often cut. Since 2010, the country has relaxed its restrictions on sexual and religious content in films, allowing for the depiction of gay characters, provided their sexuality isn’t celebrated. These rules are only actively enforced in theaters, and do not apply to online or optical media.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.