Now it's Russia considering a ban on Disney's live action "Beauty and the Beast" due to its inclusion of a gay character. On the heels of an Alabama movie theater's rejection of the film, the Russian culture minister told the BBC that he will be scrutinizing the new movie to see whether it violates the country's homosexual propaganda law.

No doubt there will be more controversy ahead, despite director Bill Condon declaring that it's already "overblown." Condon told ScreenCrush he hopes audiences won't make a big deal out of the character LeFou questioning his feelings for hunky villain Gaston, or the "moment" at the film's ending that Josh Gad, who plays LeFou, said he would let speak for itself. Given the clash of reactionary conservatism versus upset liberalism in the culture today, I fear that hope will be in vain.

Condon also said he was surprised by the controversy. He shouldn't have been. The LGBTQ community has been lobbying for a gay character in a major animated film for years — and studios and activists have been well aware of the risks.

"When you look at the global market, so many of the big studios look to the international box office and there are a number of LGBT issues abroad, so they want to be careful not to be cut out of countries," observed Sarah Kate Ellis of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter last year.

Ellis also noted, however, "It's going to get harder and harder to ignore this drumbeat" — referring to a surge in the social media push for Elsa of "Frozen" fame to become Disney's first lesbian princess. The hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend was trending, with people calling for a sequel to the massively popular Disney feature with Elsa having a female partner.

"These portrayals help real LGBT youth to recognize that they aren't alone and validate their identity," she emphasized.

Indeed. But being right doesn't mean it's easy.

Twenty years ago next month, "The Puppy Episode" of "Ellen" aired to a record-breaking 42 million viewers. If your memory is foggy, or you didn't happen to be around at the time, that's the sitcom installment in which Ellen DeGeneres' character, Ellen Morgan, came out as gay. DeGeneres made the courageous decision to come out in real life at the same time.

The media firestorm surrounding this show consumed much of the country. There were threats (including a bomb threat at the studio and DeGeneres being followed by a suspicious man) and boycotts. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation offered a trivia game for viewing parties; demand exponentially outstripped the initial supply. Religious right leaders and others made infuriated comments. Advertisers opted out. Grateful lesbian and gay viewers and parents of lesbian and gay offspring wrote heartfelt notes of gratitude. The episode won "Ellen" an Emmy and a Peabody award, and the backlash included a year of blacklising for Laura Dern, who played Ellen's love interest on the show.

Since then, the popularity of shows like "Modern Family" that include gay characters and gay relationships proved that America had become a less intolerant, more inclusive society. Ellen's talk show is a totally mainstream TV staple, she's a deserving super star and beloved icon.

Now we're in a time of push back.

And it's sad.

Rising star Fortune Feimster of "The Mindy Project," who recently closed a deal to star in her own big screen comedy for Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment — and who wrote for this column in the years before her career as a comedian took off — said it perfectly in social media:

"I can't believe we still live in a world where people are boycotting a Disney movie because it has a gay character. Really? Why do you care? Seriously, why? How is your life in any way less than because there's a gay character in a movie? You can't catch gay from watching a movie. I can assure that if someone is gay it's because that is how they were born. You think 'liberal Hollywood' is shoving gay characters down your throat? I hate to tell ya, but there are gay people all around you in real life. Young, old. In the closet, out of the closet. Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers. Nothing is being shoved down your throat when one character out of hundreds (sometimes thousands) is gay. There are millions and millions of gay people in this country. Real life is simply being observed and then parts of it are being put into movies and TV and presented back to you. So Disney put a gay character in a village. Ok. I can 100 percent guarantee there is a much greater chance that there's a gay person living in a village than a giant talking beast and a talking/dancing tea pot and candlestick. Scratch that...like 1,000 percent guarantee! Disney also has a lot of movies with witches in it. Are we going to boycott those too? I know I'm real tempted to ride on brooms and cast spells after such portrayals.

"So what's your problem? You're worried someone will watch this movie and think it's ok to be gay? Well, guess what? It is. It's very much ok. My being gay has in no way EVER made anyone's life worse off. I actually spend my living helping make people's lives a little happier...even if it's for a few minutes. And I've met gay people all over the world whose lives matter to so many and their mere existence only makes life better for a number of people. So if your religion or moral high ground has convinced you that being gay is wrong and it's not something to be portrayed in a movie, well, I don't know what to say to you anymore. I guess have fun watching Kirk Cameron movies for the rest of your life. And, remember, you did that to yourself."

Hear, hear. Let inclusiveness win the day.