Actor Ewan McGregor has openly scoffed at Christians who are protesting the inclusion of a gay character in the live-action remake of "Beauty and the Beast."
McGregor, who plays the role of the candelabra Lumière, did not mince words when he admitted that "there's a lot gay sex" in the movie, Billboard reported.
He also ridiculed the owner of a movie theatre in Alabama who decided to cancel the screening of the movie after learning that there will be a gay character in it.
During his March 13 appearance in "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," McGregor told the TV host, "I think if you live anywhere near Alabama you should not go and see this film. What would Jesus think?"
Colbert tried to point out that the movie doesn't actually show the character LaFou (played by Josh Gad) was a gay, and that he only had "gay yearnings" for Gaston (played by Luke Evans).
But McGregor bluntly answered, "No, he's a gay character. It's 2017 for [expletive] sake!"
Other actors in the movie were less brusque in their comments on the movie.
Gad described the "gay moment" in the movie as a "subtle but incredibly effective" scene during the film's finale, according to People.
The actor said that moment in the movie teaches an important lesson central to the theme of the film: "Never judging a book by its cover."
"What I would say is that this film is one of inclusiveness," Gad said. "It's one that has something to offer everyone."
As for Emma Watson, who plays the lead role Belle in the movie, that "exclusively gay moment" is "subtle" and "fun."
Speaking in a Facebook live interview with Entertainment Weekly, Watson said, "I think that what's so fantastic about Josh's performance is that it's so subtle. It's always like, does he idolise Gaston? Is he in love with Gaston? What's the relationship there? And I think it's incredibly subtle, to be perfectly honest."
"I don't want people going into this movie thinking that there's like a huge narrative there," she said. "There really isn't. It's incredibly subtle, and it's kind of a play on having the audience go, 'Is it, or is it not?' I think it's fun. I love the ambiguity there."
Meanwhile, Bill Condon, the movie director, said too much has been made over the movie's "exclusively gay moment."
In an interview with ScreenCrush, Condon said the scene has been "overblown."
"It's part of just what we had fun with," he said. "I love the way it plays pure when people don't know and it comes as a nice surprise."
"Why is it a big deal?" he asked.
To read how Christians should respond to the gay character in "Beauty and the Beast," read our comment piece here.
