Washington, March 4 (IANS): Alabama Theater cancelled screening of "Beauty and the Beast" because the film features Disneys first openly gay character.

The Henagar Drive-In Theatre in DeKalb County has cancelled its screenings of "Beauty and the Beast" because the film will feature Disney's first openly gay character, reports hollywoodreporter.com. 

Director Bill Condon earlier this week told Attitude magazine that Josh Gad's LeFou -- villain Gaston's (played by Luke Evans) eccentric sidekick -- will be Disney's first-ever LGBTQ character -- a way of honouring the original 1991 animated film's late lyricist Howard Ashman.

Opened in 1999, the Henagar Drive-In screens family-friendly double features. The theater's shift away from "Beauty and the Beast" was decided by the business' new owners, who took over in December.

"When companies continually force their views on us we need to take a stand. We all make choices and I am making mine," the business said in a statement on Facebook. 

The statement further read: "If we cannot take our 11-year-old grand daughter and eight-year-old grandson to see a movie we have no business watching it. If I can't sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me then we have no business showing it.

"I know there will be some that do not agree with this decision. That's fine.

"We are first and foremost Christians. We will not compromise on what the Bible teaches. We will continue to show family oriented films so you can feel free to come watch wholesome movies without worrying about sex, nudity, homosexuality and foul language."

Disney hasn't responded on the matter.