So many of us remember watching Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel. As kids, they were the networks we first remember being exposed to. Now, Disney Channel is taking advantage of its platform and using it to propel diversity and inclusion in its programs.

According to an article released by BBC, Disney Channel is introducing a gay storyline for the first time in the season 2 premier of the show “Andi Mack”.

The season will showcase two best friends (Andi and Cyrus) who both admit to having crushes on the same boy.

Needless to say, this is not something our generation was used to seeing when we remember our favorite childhood shows. A spokesperson from Disney stated the show “sends a powerful message about inclusion and respect for humanity”.

I can imagine not everyone will be a fan of the show or its mission, but can we really be against something that is only trying to teach the next generation to have respect for other people and how they choose to live their lives? Even with the significant progress we have seen in our lifetimes, the gay community still remains a marginalized community and I for one, applaud Disney for moving to propel diversity and understanding.

According to BBC, the series is a coming of age show, similar to other shows on Disney Channel that revolves around a teenage girl and her best friends. Best friends Andi and Cyrus realize they have feelings for the same boy and will show how Cyrus’s story develops and how he begins to understand himself better with the support from his friends and family.

Disney has reported they took great care in producing this storyline so as to share it in a sensitive and respectful way. They consulted PFLAG, the US’s biggest LGBTQ organization.

Kim Sanders, from the LGBT rights group Stonewall, issued the following statement:

“It’s great to see Disney taking this step. For young lesbian, gay and bi people it sends a powerful message, demonstrating they are not alone. We need to see more people with different sexual orientations and gender identities on TV and in film.”

With the average viewer of such shows being pre-teens, this show is targeting the need for diversity, compassion, and inclusion directly to the next generation of kids. This kind of news makes me hopeful that society can, despite the current polarization in the country with instances of so much hate, move forward together and be a part of an inclusive world where we treat each other as nothing less than human beings.