Prince & Princess? How about Prince & Prince?
Oh, Disney. The place that everyone comes to for princes and princesses falling in love and living happily ever after. But, what if instead of a prince and princess, a prince and prince fall in love?
Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack” is the network’s first show about a gay main-character’s coming out story.
The show is centered around Andi Mack (Payton Elizabeth Lee), and her coming of age story as she navigates through her teens. For the show’s second season, Cyrus (Joshua Rush), will begin his coming out journey.
This isn’t the first time Disney has made headlines about putting gay characters in their movies or shows. The live action Beauty and the Beast that came out earlier this year featured a gay character who ended up dancing with a man at the end of the movie. Disney XD’s animated series “Star vs. the Forces of Evil” had a same-sex kiss in their second season.
A statement from Disney Channel reads: “Andi Mack is a story about tweens figuring out who they are. 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, a media advocacy group, gave major props to the network’s decision to feature a character working out his sexuality issues and being who he is.
The organization’s president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis says, “With more and more young people coming out as LGBTQ, Andi Mack is reflecting the lives and lived experiences of so many LGBTQ youths 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’s story unfold.”
![](https://arapahoenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Capture-5-475x341.png)
Joshua Rush posted his thoughts on Instagram about his character coming out:
“Starting conversations about trust, love, relationship, 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 of bringing Cyrus’ groundbreaking storyline to life and for you see what we’ve been working on.”
![](https://arapahoenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Capture-1-1-475x245.png)
The actor received a lot of praises from his post as the storyline is inspirational to many fans.
![](https://arapahoenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Capture-2-1.png)
But, of course, even in 2017 something like this is bound to stir up controversy. Since this news broke headlines, many people who disagreed with the themes of Disney’s new show shared of a few of their thoughts. Some even called to boycott Disney because ‘they shouldn’t be showing this to young children.’
![](https://arapahoenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Capture-4-1-475x153.png)
Disney Channel is diving into real issues with this one, issues that a lot of kids still face these days. After all, LGBTQ+ rights still have a way to go. Personally, I wish Disney Channel had a gay character in one of the shows that I grew up watching. I would’ve been so thankful to see that it’s okay to be who I am, that I’m not alone.
I’m filled with gratitude knowing that kids who are struggling coming out to their parents and accepting who they are will turn on the tv and see a character on one of their favorite shows going through the same thing. I’m sure Disney Channel is going to become a huge support system for LGTBQ youth and hopefully, this isn’t the last show that will feature a gay character.
What are your thoughts on this? If you’re a parent, how do you feel about Disney Channel having it’s first openly-gay main character? Leave a comment below.
![Photo of Eric Gonzalez](https://arapahoenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Eric_Gonzalez-475x317.jpg)
Eric Gonzalez is a second year ACC student. He was born in Miami, Florida on August 27th, 1997. He moved to Castle Rock, Colorado in 2003. He graduated from Douglas County High in 2016 and is planning on transferring to CU Boulder...