Cyrus is gay andi mack

Home / gay topics / Cyrus is gay andi mack

These ties offer mutual support amid adolescent challenges, with Cyrus often serving as a confidant while receiving guidance in return, as seen when he discloses his emerging self-awareness to Buffy during the season 2 premiere aired on October 13, 2018.[5][2]His initial romantic interest develops toward classmate Jonah Beck, a popular athlete, prompting Cyrus to recognize and articulate his attraction to boys, which he confides first to Buffy before sharing with Andi.

“That’s your classic bagel and lox. “Being Jewish, being 14, going to middle school, having this small, close-knit group of friends, and being gay are all just parts of his personality.”

Rush added that when he was Cyrus’ age, he was bullied a lot. The teenage character is Disney's first officially confirmed, openly LGBTQ+ character.

"No matter how 'weird' or 'different' he feels (his words from Season One), his friends will always be right by his side, loving and supporting him."

For many, the process of coming out is as terrifying as it is exhilarating. "He looked up at me, said 'Cool,' then proceeded to put ketchup on his burger as if I hadn’t just revealed my most personal, deepest truth.

That's gvelta fish, skip that... This milestone is just another stitch in a rich and vibrant tapestry that is Cyrus Goodman."

#CyrusGoodman and #AndiMack became trending topics in the US the day the episode aired, and rightfully so. According to Brock Dumville, M.P.H. In October 2017, shortly after Cyrus's implied attraction to boys was revealed in the season 2 premiere, One Million Moms—a campaign affiliated with the American Family Association—initiated a petition demanding Disney cancel the show, labeling the content as promotion of homosexuality and "inappropriate" for children.[47][48] The group argued that featuring such themes normalized same-sex attraction among preteens, prompting calls for a broader boycott of Disney programming.[49]This criticism extended to experimental assessments of public attitudes, where social conservatives expressed heightened willingness to censor depictions of teen homosexuality in media like Andi Mack, viewing Cyrus's arc as an example of overreach in children's entertainment.[39] Actor Joshua Rush, who portrayed Cyrus, faced similar online harassment in February 2019, including claims that the character's storyline set a "very poor example" for kids; Rush countered by emphasizing the need for diverse representation to reflect real experiences.[50][40]Internationally, the LGBTQ elements contributed to regulatory pushback, with Andi Mack banned from broadcast in Kenya in October 2017 due to its handling of Cyrus's orientation, highlighting tensions over cultural standards for youth media.[51] Some observers and fans later critiqued the series finale in July 2019 for its subdued depiction of Cyrus's relationship with TJ Kippen—limited to hand-holding without an on-screen kiss—interpreting it as Disney's reluctance to depict explicit gay romance despite earlier progressive steps.[35][33]

The Disney Channel officially has its first-ever openly gay character.

“While grabbing burgers one afternoon, he asked me to pass the ketchup, so I handed him the bottle while mumbling the words, ‘I’m gay.’ He looked up at me, said ‘Cool,’ then proceeded to put ketchup on his burger as if I hadn’t just revealed my most personal, deepest truth.”

“I remember thinking: That’s it?!

cyrus is gay andi mack

Cyrus hails from a Jewish family; his parents, Leslie and Norman Goodman, divorced prior to the series' events, with both remarrying, and all four resulting parental figures working as mental health professionals.[12]Cyrus exhibits a sweet yet neurotic disposition, often displaying anxiety over personal differences and insecurities.

His performance as Cyrus also marks the first portrayal of an openly gay character on Disney Channel.

“Taking on the role of Cyrus has been one of the most fun things I've ever done in my life," Rush told "GMA." "Being Jewish, being 14, going to middle school, having this small, close-knit group of friends, and being gay are all just parts of his personality," he affirmed.

The reaction to his character coming out?

"Overwhelmingly positive," he said, adding that "over the last few days I've really gotten to see the myriad of ways that both this new coming-out scene for Cyrus, and this Jewish representation of his family, has affected the fans."

In the moving scene that aired last week, Cyrus is joined by his friends at his grandmother's shiva, the first week of mourning observed by those of the Jewish faith for someone who has passed away.

Cool.”

Opening up about writing the episode, Jonathan Hurwitz wrote in a blog post for GLAAD that he drew on his own experiences when writing Cyrus’ coming-out moment.

“In the writer’s room, I shared a personal story about how nervous I was to come out to a college friend back in 2010,” Hurwitz wrote.

Cyrus Goodman

Cyrus Goodman is a fictional character in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack, which aired from 2017 to 2019, portrayed by actor Joshua Rush.[1] He serves as one of the best friends of the protagonist Andi Mack and her friend Buffy Driscoll, forming a core trio navigating adolescence in a small town.[2] Goodman is distinguished as the first main character in a Disney Channel live-action series to explicitly come out as gay, confiding his sexual orientation to Buffy after developing a crush on classmate Jonah Beck.[3][2]Throughout the series, Goodman's arc explores themes of identity and relationships, including his initial unrequited feelings for Beck and a later romance with athlete TJ Kippen, marking Disney's first depiction of a same-sex teen couple.[4] His character contributes to the show's focus on family secrets and personal growth, with Goodman often providing comic relief through his awkwardness and loyalty to friends.[1] While praised by some for representation, the inclusion of Goodman's storyline drew criticism from conservative groups concerned about introducing sexual orientation topics to young audiences targeted by Disney programming.[2]

Creation and Development

Conception

Cyrus Goodman was conceived by series creator Terri Minsky as part of the core friend group in Andi Mack, serving as the best friend to protagonist Andi Mack and fellow tween Buffy Driscoll, with the trio attending Jefferson Middle School and navigating adolescence together.[5] Minsky, drawing from her experience creating Lizzie McGuire, developed the character to embody themes of self-discovery and identity exploration, positioning him as neurotic yet supportive amid family and peer dynamics.[6] From the outset of the show's pitch in 2016, Cyrus was intended to be Jewish, reflecting Minsky's own background and early discussions to authentically incorporate cultural elements like bar mitzvahs into his arc.[7]Minsky specifically designed Cyrus's storyline to address homosexuality, conceiving him as gay to mirror real adolescent experiences of feeling "weird and different," with an emphasis on supportive friendships that affirm rather than judge.[5] This decision aligned with Disney Channel's request for edgier content beyond the initial family-secret premise, allowing the series—greenlit in August 2016 and premiered March 10, 2017—to tackle tween self-realization in an age-appropriate manner.[8] The character's orientation was established early in development, though explicit revelation to peers occurred in the Season 2 premiere on October 27, 2017, when 13-year-old Cyrus confides a crush on male friend Jonah Beck to Buffy.[9][5]

Casting and Portrayal

Joshua Rush portrayed Cyrus Goodman, one of the main characters in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack, which aired from March 10, 2017, to July 26, 2019.[9] Rush, then aged 15, was cast in the role knowing the character's arc would include exploring his sexual orientation, marking a departure from prior Disney representations.[4] His performance spanned 57 episodes, depicting Cyrus as a 13-year-old Jewish boy navigating friendships, family dynamics, and personal identity with wit and vulnerability.[1]Rush's portrayal emphasized Cyrus's fashion sense and loyalty as Andi's best friend alongside Buffy Driscoll, while handling the coming-out storyline with age-appropriate subtlety.[10] In the season 3 episode "Cyrus' Truth," aired February 8, 2019, Cyrus explicitly states "I'm gay" to Jonah Beck, becoming the first Disney Channel character to do so on-screen.[11] Rush drew from his own experiences to inform the role, expressing pride in representing a gay teen in a mainstream children's program without sensationalism.[1] The casting choice aligned with Disney's intent to introduce LGBTQ+ visibility, though the portrayal avoided explicit romantic developments, focusing instead on self-acceptance and peer support.[9]

Character Profile

Background and Personality

Cyrus Goodman is a central character in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack, which aired from April 7, 2017, to July 26, 2019.

Cyrus isn't only gay, he's also Jewish. After a ten-year journey to come out to myself, I finally come out to my friend and all I get is a ‘Cool?!’ But what I ultimately realized was that my friends and family loved me unconditionally before I’d even learned to truly love myself,” he added.

“In spite of Cyrus’ nerves about telling Buffy, Andi, and now Jonah, he continually underestimates how much people accept him for who he is,” he wrote.

Read some of the best Twitter reactions, below.

Image via Getty

This helpful nature underscores his role as an emotional stabilizer in the group, though he grapples internally with feelings of being "weird" or out of place.[12][11][13]

Key Relationships

Cyrus Goodman's primary relationships center on his friendships with Andi Mack and Buffy Driscoll, forming the core group dubbed the "Good Hair Crew" at Jefferson Middle School.

One fan tweeted, "CYRUS GOODMAN JUST MADE DISNEY CHANNEL HISTORY." Actor Joshua Rush retweeted, commenting, "Every day is a blessing working on this show. That's your classic bagel and lox. and Senior Crisis Services Manager for The Trevor Project, "the best way to support your friend would be to celebrate them for making choices that feel healthy for them, including if that is choosing not to come out."

The Trevor Project is a national organization providing crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ youth under 25.

During a recent episode of Andi Mack, Cyrus Goodman (played by Joshua Rush) made history by uttering the words “I’m gay” to a friend.

Although the character had told friends Buffy and Andi about his sexuality in a previous episode, he said the words for the first time during Friday’s episode, “One In a Minyan.”

In the scene, Cyrus is explaining the traditional Jewish food at a buffet table at his grandmother’s shiva, the ritual mourning period following someone’s death.

“That, of course, is Aunt Ruthie’s kugel,” Cyrus told friend Jonah.

“No matter how ‘weird’ or ‘different’ he feels (his words from Season One), his friends will always be right by his side, loving and supporting him.”

Rush, 17, told Good Morning America that the response to his character’s sexuality has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

“Over the last few days I’ve really gotten to see the myriad of ways that both this new coming-out scene for Cyrus, and this Jewish representation of his family, has affected the fans,” Rush said.

“Taking on the role of Cyrus has been one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my life,” he said.

The monumental scene happened after the character's grandmother had passed, and he invited his friends over for her shiva. This unrequited crush underscores Cyrus's internal struggles and strengthens his platonic bonds within the group.[2][5]Later, Cyrus enters a romantic relationship with TJ Kippen, initially connected through basketball where Cyrus joins the team to impress Jonah but bonds with TJ over shared vulnerabilities.

“So it’s inspiring to see how Cyrus knows he doesn’t have it all figured out yet, but he isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions about who he might be and what that means for him,” he explained.

New episodes of Andi Mack air Fridays at 8 p.m.