Disney Channel’s hit series Andi Mack is breaking boundaries on the network yet again with a major plotline that will be featured in the show’s second season. It was announced that Cyrus, one of Andi’s BFFs, will be coming to terms with his sexuality in the channel’s first ever LGBTQ storyline.
During the course of season two, which premieres on Friday, Oct. 27, Cyrus Goodman will soon realize he too has feelings for Andi’s on and off crush Jonah Beck, which he tells the other member of the bestie trio Buffy about. Buffy is nothing but supportive of Cyrus coming out as gay and he then is faced with how to tell Iris, his new girlfriend.
“Andi Mack is a story about ‘tweens’ figuring out who they are; 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,” a Disney Channel spokesperson said in a statement.
The coming-of-age series has already made strides on Disney Channel simply with the premise of the show. Andi lived her life thinking her mom and dad are her parents and she has this cool older sister named Bex, but on her 13th birthday, Bex revealed that she is actually Andi’s biological mom and the people who have been raising her are actually her grandparents. This family dynamic had never appeared on the network before and Cyrus’ upcoming character arc is another step in the direction of making this show one of the most memorable. Joshua Rush, who plays Cryus, took to Instagram to share simply how proud he is to be portraying Cyrus’ story.
“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. I’m so proud to bring Cyrus’ groundbreaking storyline to life and for you to see what we’ve been working on. Tune in this Friday at 8pm EST for the season premiere of season 2 ? #andimack #disneychannel,” he wrote along with a cast pic. Joshua has also been answering fan questions on his Tumblr about Cyrus’ groundbreaking storyline.
“I’m wildly proud to be a part of Andi Mack. Promoting acceptance and love is what we’re all about on our show and I couldn’t be more excited for you all to see Cyrus’ scene on Friday,” Joshua wrote. “I’m 90% sure that this is the longest secret I’ve ever kept (almost 2 YEARS has this been in the works!!!) and I’m so excited to share this moment with all of you. I prepared a lot. I worked with a former publicist from Logo, who is now a therapist, we worked with GLAAD and GLISEN, and I used my own personal experiences, from when I was the first person a close friend came out to.”
Knowing how much thought and prep has gone into carefully crafting Cyrus and his development is all types of amazing. For anyone who has watched all of season one (and if you haven’t you NEED to!) it was easy to see Cyrus totally loved being friends with Jonah, since he’s the cool heartthrob in school. You might’ve been able to pick up on a few cues from Cyrus that he might’ve liked Jonah as more than a friend, but Cyrus is just figuring this all out for himself so he probably wasn’t even aware these feelings were blossoming. The fact that Disney Channel is going to be showing this storyline from a main character on a major show is truly remarkable and the perfect step in a more inclusive direction. And frankly, there is more than one type of love story that should be told, so it’s about time! Bravo, Andi Mack. We can’t wait to see this all unfold.
WATCH: Fast Facts About Joshua Rush
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