Disney Channel unveils first teenage gay couple in Andi Mack finale
Cyrus Goodman and TJ in the last ever episode of Andi Mack (YouTube)
Disney Channel has made history once again by depicting its first teenage gay couple in the series finale of Andi Mack.
In the scene, Cyrus Goodman—who is played by Joshua Rush—confesses that he likes his classmate TJ Kippen.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” Cyrus asks. TJ replies, “Yeah,” and asks the same question.
“Yes,” Cyrus says, before reaching out and holding TJ’s hand.
As if that wasn’t enough, the pair also sang along to Lady Gaga’s LGBT+ acceptance anthem “Born This Way” in the episode.
Sadly, Andi Mack fans won’t see the relationship develop further, as the scene aired in the show’s last ever episode. Disney Channel announced in April that its third season would be its last.
Andi Mack has received praise online for representing a gay teenage couple
The scene has had a rapturous response on social media. A viral tweet from @tyrusmcu said: “This scene is going to be so important for so many kids growing up watching this right now. They’ll get to look back at this and think, this show let me know that I would be okay.” The tweet has been liked or retweeted more than 30,000 times.
Actor Joshua Rush responded to the scene on Twitter and wrote: “guys, gals, and nb pals, I can now tell you: tyrus endgame canon and confirmed.”
This scene is going to be so important for so many kids growing up watching this right now.
Meanwhile, Luke Mullen, who plays TJ, wrote: “Honored to be a part of such a groundbreaking show. I hope my character can inspire people to proud of who they are and love who they love.”
Some fans have even asked Disney to give the characters their own spin-off show in response to the touching scene.
Andi Mack‘s Cyrus Goodman came out as gay in a 2017 episode
This is not the first time Andi Mack has made broken new ground for LGBT+ representation. In a now famous 2017 episode, Cyrus confessed to his friend Buffy that he liked another boy.
Then, in February of this year, he became the first Disney character to say the words “I’m gay.”
Andi Mack was created by Terri Minsky and followed 13-year-old Andi and her two best friends Cyrus and Buffy.
When news broke in April that the show had been cancelled, Minsky said in a statement that they were honoured to break new ground for Disney Channel.
“We were its first serialized show, its first series centred around an Asian-American family and its first to feature an LGBTQ character who spoke the words, “I’m gay.”
“But the best part of making Andi Mack was our audience, who let us know we mattered to them. The series finale is for them.”
