The Disney Channel’s social outreach campaign “Make Your Mark,” which encourages and inspires kids to make a difference in the world, is currently featuring a 14-year-old named Ben; an aspiring filmmaker who happens to have two moms, AfterElton reports.
The recognition of a same-sex parented family is a big step forward for the network which has never included out gay characters in their series and films. President Gary Marsh said in 2008, “There have been characters on Disney Channel who I think people have thought were gay. That’s for the audience to interpret.”
Ben briefly introduces his family in his featurette - which premiered on Disney Channel in early November and has aired sporadically since - by simply saying, “This is the way I see my world and I wanted to share it with everyone. Let me show you. My house, my moms […]” and the audience see his moms, smiling at the camera with their arms around each other. Ben wrote, directed and edited a short anti-bullying film, Stop, about the experiences he and his friends have had with being bullied at school. Watch Ben’s “Make Your Mark” story below.