Russian MP calls for ban on Beauty and the Beast over ‘gay propaganda’

A ruling party MP in Russia has sought to have the new Disney musical Beauty and the Beast banned for peddling “gay propaganda”.

Vitaly Milonov wrote to the culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, asking him to check the film for so-called homosexual propaganda and calling for its forthcoming release to be cancelled, the state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Giving minors information about homosexuality has been illegal in Russia since 2013. The legislation, signed by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has angered human rights activists and the LGBT community around the world. It describes homosexuality as “non-traditional sexual relations”. Homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia in 1993.

“In this situation, society cannot look on silently at what movie distributors are offering under the guise of a children’s tale – the obvious, barefaced, unscrupulous propaganda of sin and perverted sexual relations,” Milonov said.

Medinsky told the BBC that the culture ministry would “consider [Beauty and the Beast] according to the law” as soon as it had a copy of the film with paperwork for distribution.

The new musical contains Disney’s first ever gay character and love scene, according to the film’s director, Bill Condon. In a subplot to the main love story between Belle and the Beast, LeFou, a sidekick of the Beast’s opponent Gaston, develops feelings for his dashing friend.

The release of Beauty and the Beast coincides with the start of spring vacation for Russian schoolchildren, and Milonov said he had been receiving letters from concerned parents.

“I’m convinced that the main task of the state regarding children is to protect childhood and youth from the filthiness of the world, to preserve children’s purity, to block our children off from harmful and dangerous phenomena,” he said. “And in this case, our shared task is to not allow the release of this musical on the screen under any guise.”

Milonov was a leading proponent of legislation against gay “propaganda”, which activists have said has led to a rise in homophobic rhetoric and attacks. The notoriously vague legislation has been invoked to stop LGBT activists from staging protests and other events.

Another MP, Alexander Sholokhov, deputy chair of the culture committee, has spoken out in favour of banning the film if it is found to violate the law.

The film, starring Emma Watson, Ewan McGregor, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kevin Kline and Stanley Tucci, is due for release in Russia on 16 March.

Source: The Guardian