But on the show Andi Mack, Disney is finally portraying an openly gay character.
Joshua Rush, who plays the role of Cyrus Goodman on the show, told Peoplemagazine that he knew it was important to get the character right. "I knew that I wanted to do it justice, because I knew that people were gonna end up seeing this and being like, ‘Wow, that’s me, I identify with that [and] I can be who I am now,’" the 16-year-old actor said. "But I also wanted to make sure that it’s not all-encompassing. Like that’s not all of Cyrus’ personality."
The show follows a young girl named Andi (played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) who is navigating her early teenage years. The show's current second season sees Andi coming to terms with having feelings for a boy named Jonah, while Rush's character Cyrus starts to learn that he also has feelings for him.
“I feel the pressure, and I also don't. I think the most important thing for me when I got this part was to do it right," Rush added.
Andi Mack airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Disney Channel.
