TV Tuesday: Why Having LGBTQ+ Representation On A Disney Channel Show Like "Andi Mack" Is

We spend a lot of time on this blog talking about LGBTQ+ representation in television shows (in case you haven't noticed, it's kind of our thing).

But the shows that we talk about are usually shows made for adults (think shows like Orange Is The New Black) or older teens (like The 100 and The Fosters).

But what about shows for kids?

Given that LGBTQ+ youth have an increased risk of being bullied, we realize how important it is to start educating kids about the LGBTQ+ community from a young age, and including LGBTQ+ characters in children's programming is an awesome way to do that.

That's why we were so happy to see this scene in a recent episode of Andi Mack, a comedy/drama series that premiered on Disney Channel earlier this year.

The scene features one of the characters on the show, 13-year-old Cyrus, coming out to one of his friends by explaining that he has a crush on another boy. This marked the first time that a character came out as gay on a Disney Channel series.

Disney Channel released a statement explaining this decision:

“Andi Mack is a story about ‘tweens’ figuring out who they are. Creator 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.”

The fact that Disney Channel, one of the leading networks for children's programming, recognizes the importance of inclusion, is huge.

By portraying this storyline, Disney Channel is helping to normalize the LGBTQ+ community in the eyes of many young viewers that may not know much about sexual orientation yet.

It's also showing kids that being gay is totally okay, and that even though coming out can be scary, you'll find people who will support you.

By simply including a gay lead character, Disney Channel is potentially helping a lot of LGBTQ+ youth. Here's to hoping for many more LGBTQ+ characters on children's programming in the future.