Disney Channel to Present First Gay Storyline on ANDI MACK Season Premiere

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Season Two premiere of Disney Channel's hit series ANDI MACK will feature the network's first gay storyline. In the episode, one of the show's main characters, Cyrus (Joshua Rush), will begin to realize that he has feelings for one of his male classmates.

The episode, airing Friday at 8/ET/PT, has "Andi (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) sorting out her feelings for her classmate Jonah (Asher Angel), while Cyrus realizes that he, too, has feelings for Jonah. Cyrus confides in his and Andi's best friend, Buffy (Sofia Wylie), as he struggles to determine how to tell his new girlfriend."

A Disney Channel spokesperson said in a statement to THR: "Andi Mack is a story about tweens figuring out who they are; [creator] Terri Minsky, the cast and everyone involved in the show takes great care in ensuring that it's appropriate for all audiences and sends a powerful message about inclusion and respect for humanity."

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told THR: "With more and more young people coming out as LGBTQ, ANDI MACK is reflecting the lives and lived experiences of so many LGBTQ youth around the country. Television reflects the real-life world, and today that includes LGBTQ youth who deserve to see their lives depicted on their favorite shows. Disney has been a leader in LGBTQ inclusion, and there are so many young people who will be excited to see Cyrus' story unfold."

Added PFLAG executive director Dr. Jaime M. Grant, "Sharing one's innermost self can be challenging, and to do so as an adolescent can be particularly so, especially when in the midst of figuring it out for yourself. Coming out requires honest self-reflection, no small amount of bravery and a safe place with at least one trusted person -- a friend, a parent, a teacher -- who can hold your confidence ... and your heart.. Andi Mack's creative team captures this moment of revelation with such thought, care and authenticity; it will be a memory moment for some, and a teachable moment for many."

Created and executive produced by writer Terri Minsky ("Lizzie McGuire"), the series' second season continues the contemporary coming-of-age story of a 13-year-old girl named Andi Mack who's trying to determine where she fits in and the many amazing ways she can live her life.

The series revolves around Andi Mack who, on the eve of her 13th birthday, learns that her older sister, Bex, is actually her mother. The shocking revelation sends Andi on an uncharted course of self-discovery. At least she's in good company; her best friends, Cyrus and Buffy, are also figuring out their places in the world.

In season two, Andi is anchored by her loving albeit complicated family. She's also in a trio with Cyrus and Buffy - her smart, supportive friends who are figuring out the most useful "hacks" to their young teen lives, too. Then suddenly, there's all-new territory for Andi to navigate - the possibility that Jonah Beck might like her, too. Andi proves her greatest strength may lie in her ability to approach life's unpredictability with optimism. She also finds solace by tapping into her creativity in her backyard hideaway, the Andi Shack.

Image courtesy of Disney Channel

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