Growing up, I loved Disney Channel. I spent most of my free time watching all of the hit shows on Disney, including Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place. These shows taught me many things, from the importance of friendship and family to being comfortable with who you are. However, one thing that these shows lacked was diversity, especially LGBTQ representation. This is why it was a huge shock to many people when Disney Channel had its first LGBTQ character, Cyrus Goodman, in the three-season show, Andi Mack.
Introducing a gay character in a Disney Channel show caused much controversy amongst parents. Many parents believed that this was a mistake because the show was targeted towards a younger audience. In fact, a group of parents created a petition to cancel Andi Mack, with the petition receiving over 7,000 signatures. However, regardless of the numerous people who did not support Disney’s decision to include LGBTQ characters, many people were ecstatic about this choice. According to a parent review, “And for gay kids, seeing a gay character on the Disney channel could help them get through the depression of feeling like an outsider and it could maybe encourage them to talk about their feelings with their peers and their parents.” Showing the process of a teenage boy questioning his sexuality and accepting who he is was inspirational to many people who might have struggled with that themselves.
Regardless of the controversy of introducing an LGBTQ character to a young audience, I think this was a good decision. It is important for children to understand from a young age that they are accepted regardless of their sexuality.