The Disney Channel's first gay main character is set to debut over the weekend.
Page Six reports that the second season of live-action show "Andi Mack" will show main character Andi's best friend, Cyrus, work through his feelings for Andi's love interest, Josh. Child development experts were reportedly consulted by Disney Channel and series creator Terri Minsky throughout the writing of the character's storyline. The season premiere was also screened in advance by groups like Common Sense Media, GLAAD and PFLAG.
"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," GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "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."
Page Six also notes that this is not the first time "Andi Mack" has addressed diverse family structures. In one episode, the main character learns that the young woman she believed to be her older sister was actually her mother, alluding to a teen pregnancy.
This is also not the first time Disney Channel has highlighted LGBT characters. A 2014 episode of live-action show "Good Luck Charlie" featured a lesbian couple. Other on-screen couples were shown in animated shows. Audiences were introduced to a gay couple, both police officers, on an episode of "Gravity Falls," while "Star vs. the Forces of Evil" showed the network's first on-screen kiss between same-sex couples in 2017.
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