Disney hit to feature tale of gay awareness

Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack” is making history with the network’s first story line about a gay character coming out.

The comedic drama from “Lizzie McGuire” creator Terri Minsky follows 13-year-old Andi (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) as she navigates her early teens. In the Season 2 premiere, airing at 8 p.m. Friday night, Andi’s friend Cyrus (Joshua Rush) will begin his coming-out journey.

Disney has introduced gay characters before — “Beauty and the Beast” made headlines earlier this year for featuring an openly gay LeFou, and Disney XD’s animated series “Star vs. the Forces of Evil” made history in its second season with Disney’s first samesex kiss. But “Andi Mack,” which became a network hit after its April debut, is the first Disney franchise to center a story line on a major character coming out as gay.

Cyrus’ story isn’t the first groundbreaking move for “Andi Mack.” In the pilot, Andi learned that her big sister, Bex, is actually her biological mother.

“‘Andi Mack’ is a story about ‘tweens’ figuring out who they are,” Disney Channel said in a statement this week. “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.”

Rush, who plays Cyrus, addressed the story line in an Instagram post this week.

“Starting conversations about trust, love, relationships and family dynamics is easier when you have a show that you can relate to. ‘Andi Mack’ gives young people and their parents, mentors, and champions a meaningful way to talk about these topics and the power to decide their futures,” the actor wrote. “I’m so proud to bring Cyrus’ groundbreaking story line to life and for you to see what we’ve been working on.”