Have you watched "Andi Mack" before?
I finally bit the bullet and pulled it up last night and watched the first episode in the 2nd Season premiere, to which the OP refers. For those brave enough to 'expose' themselves to it, here's the coming out scene, all 1:49 of it:
https://youtu.be/eZm-Te6i4ik
I realize it's only the first episode and there will be more to come, but I have to say that it's been GREATLY mischaracterized by those outlets and individuals who are denouncing it. Yes, Cyrus, a 13-year-old boy admits to a friend (Buffy, who's a girl) that he's jealous of Andi, their mutual best friend (also a girl), because Cyrus likes the same boy (Josh) that Andi likes. He's afraid of telling anyone, and doesn't know what to do or what it all means, but he's glad he's told someone, because just the telling of it makes him feel less alone; less isolated. The episode wasn't sensationalistic nor contrived; it played as an impressively vulnerable attempt to show the conflict that is felt by many boys; it also showed an understanding friend who, when asked by the boy, "Am I weird...?" responded by saying, "You've always been weird, but you're no different." She didn't encourage him to act on it, or to go out and have unbridled sex with anyone... it was just a message of, "That's OK, I still love and accept you." That's the kind of message that our kids need to hear; that we love and accept them, regardless of their attractions to members of the same sex; that's a message I desperately needed to hear myself, when I was younger.
So many of our gay and lesbian youth today--especially in Utah--commit suicide because they feel isolated, alone, scared, and confused. They feel afraid that they will be judged and condemned for how they feel (the attractions they begin to have for members of the same sex), and in their isolation and despair, they ultimately give up hope and kill themselves. I speak not only through knowing and witnessing so many who have taken their lives; I also was once that same 13-year-old Teacher who would stand in the bathroom and berate myself in tears and despair, condemning myself for the attractions I felt for some other boys, and about which I had no context or clue on how to handle them. The act of telling someone else relieves that intense isolation, fear, and despair. I imagine the type of conversation what the LDS church meant when it said:
Now, I have no doubt that as the series unfolds, it will ultimately lead to Cyrus becoming more comfortable with his sexuality than Mormons would like or agree with. And I understand that most will object to his choices of embracing his sense of self as a young gay man (given the church's stance that people should avoid 'labeling themselves by their same-sex attractions'). So I guess I understand the concern and the objections to this type of programing.For some people, keeping feelings of same-sex attraction private can result in shame or a negative internal dialogue. Sharing those feelings with a trusted confidant can be liberating and healing. Some, however, wish they had waited longer or at least limited the number of people to whom they disclosed their feelings, so this decision shouldn’t be based on yielding to pressure to “come out” publicly or openly identify as gay. If you decide to disclose feelings of same-sex attraction, prayerfully consider whom you would like to tell about it and how to share this aspect of your mortal experience.
If you decide to share your experiences of feeling same-sex attraction or to openly identify as gay, you should be supported and treated with kindness and respect, both at home and in church. We all need to be patient with each other as we figure things out.
As Church members, we all have a responsibility to create a supportive and loving environment for all our brothers and sisters. Such a support network makes it much easier to live the gospel and to seek the Spirit while navigating any aspect of mortality.
https://mormonandgay.lds.org/articles/f ... -questions
But when it comes to allegations of "propaganda," the urge to "cut off" any entertainment or close down exposure to, portrayals of, or communication on topics about which one disagrees is not in the spirit of open and honest communication. The impulse to close off discussion or shield ones' self from exposure is far more in the spirit of the mindset of 'propaganda' (in the form of mind control) than being unafraid to confront issues which may challenge one's perspective, yet standing with confidence and surety that one's position won't be altered by exposure to a story that challenges one's beliefs. I'm reminded of the poem "Cherish Your Doubts":
Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the attendant of truth.
Doubt is the key to the door of knowledge; it is the servant of discovery.
A belief which may not be questioned binds us to error, for there is incompleteness and imperfection in every belief.
Doubt is the touchstone of truth; it is an acid which eats away the false.
Let no one fear the truth, that doubt may consume it; for doubt is a testing of belief.
The truth stands boldly and unafraid; it is not shaken by the testing:
For truth, if it be truth, arises from each testing stronger, more secure.
Those that would silence doubt are filled with fear; their houses are built on shifting sands.
But those who fear not doubt, and know its use, are founded on rock.
They shall walk in the light of growing knowledge; the work of their hands shall endure.
Therefore let us not fear doubt, but let us rejoice in its help:
It is to be the wise as a staff to the blind; doubt is the attendant of truth.