As reported by Deadline, the second season of popular Disney Channel series Andi Mack will feature a character realizing he’s gay and coming out to his friends. This will be the first coming-out story in the history of the Disney Channel, and it’s being billed as a “journey” that will begin in the show’s one-hour season premiere episode that airs this Friday. In a statement that seems directed toward anybody who would be mad about seeing a gay person on TV, Disney Channel said that Andi Mack “is a story about ‘tweens’ figuring out who they are…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.”
Disney has also shared specific details about what will happen this season, with one episode featuring the character—Joshua Rush’s Cyrus—telling a friend about his feelings in “a scene intended to provide positive role models for children—and adults—watching.” Deadline says Andi Mack has been the “top series of the year among girls” and it’s the highest-rated show in its time slot for all kids between six and 14.