High School Musical: The Musical: The Series character Ryan Evans confirmed his sexuality with a kiss in a preview for the series' fourth and final season.
In the preview, the character played by actor Lucas Grabeel kisses a man backstage after a performance with his old East High School pals Taylor, Chad and Martha—portrayed by Monique Coleman, Corbin Bleu and Kaycee Stroh, respectively.
The man told Evans:
“You look amazing, this is so cool!”
To which he responded:
“This means so much to me that you are here."
The man said, "I love you," and then they shared the kiss.
You can watch the clip below.
Many viewers of the preview were not surprised by this confirmation.
However, Evans' sexuality had never been confirmed—an intentional move by director Kenny Ortega.
He told Variety in 2020:
“I was concerned because it was family and kids, that Disney might not be ready to cross that line and move into that territory yet."
“So, I just took it upon myself to make choices that I felt that those who were watching would grab."
"They would see it, they would feel it, they would know it and they would identify with it. And that is what happened.”
So to many, this kiss was a moment worth celebrating.
Welcome officially to the family, Ryan.
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