Disney Refuses Malaysian Censors Demands To Cut Gay Scene From 'Beauty And The Beast'

Disney has refused demands by Malaysia to cut a so-called gay scene from its live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

Disney on Wednesday told Bloomberg that it will not cut the film.

“[T]he film has not been and will not be cut for Malaysia,” Disney said in an email.

Malaysian censors had asked Disney to cut four minutes from the film. Abdul Halm Abdul Hamid, chairman of the country's Film Censorship Board, told Reuters via text message that the scene it wanted cut involves a subplot with a “gay moment.”

Disney instead decided to pull the film from Malaysian distribution.

The revelation that LeFou (played by Josh Gad) would have an “exclusively gay moment” in the film has sparked controversy, including calls by some conservatives to boycott the film.

(Related: “Faith driven” group: Beauty and the Beast gay moment attempt to “normalize homosexuality.”)

Beauty and the Beast is expected to shatter box office records when it opens on Friday.