The Fosters made history with the youngest gay TV kiss between Jude and Connor in Season 2, and now they're about to do it again with a groundbreaking LGBTQ prom.
Tonight's episode at 8pm ET on ABC Family couldn't come at a more appropriate time after the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage a Constitutional right in all 50 states. Even though the teens on the show aren't thinking about marriage yet, they're banding together to celebrate their relationships in a safe space.
When we caught up with 14-year-old Hayden Byerly (Jude), he revealed how the prom will help his character start to come out and be comfortable with his boyfriend, the support he's received from the LGBTQ community, his advice for teens struggling with bullying, and how excited he feels about a future where everyone has equal marriage rights.
Teen Vogue: How is this LGBTQ prom different from a regular prom?
Hayden Byerly: It's specified for kids who aren't necessarily allowed to go to their regular prom at their schools. Even for kids who are allowed, this is still their own personal, private place where they can be themselves, be relaxed, be very open, and just show who they are. I've seen pictures from my parents' proms and this is definitely a lot different. It's for people to creatively express themselves, and there are some funny costumes and outfits that people wear.
TV: Is this Jude's big moment to come out and be who he truly is in front of a lot of people, and will this inspire him to be open in all facets of his life?
HB: I think he's just going to see how it is. He wants to get a little better understanding of how other people deal with coming out and how they choose to be out in public at certain events. I think he wants to get an idea of how he should act or what he thinks is the right thing to do when he's in a public place or talking to people or meeting someone. He's going there to learn a little bit more and explore and see what the gay community and what the other communities are like.
TV: Does he forge any new friendships or are there any people who help him with this process?
HB: There is definitely someone from the prom who we may or may not know already who helps him come to a better understanding of things and helps him be a little more comfortable about being gay.
TV: The LGBTQ community is so happy with what the show has done, especially with your character. What's the support like that you've received from them?
HB: It's incredible to be a part of a movement with this show and see that when people come together and stand for something, they can make change. The Supreme Court made gay marriage possible in all 50 states. They could be doing that during this time for different reasons, but I like to think that The Fosters and other shows and people out there are why this is happening now. We've made something amazing happen and will continue to make our country and the world a better place.
Hearing fans' positive reactions is motivating us to get out of bed and be excited to go to work and make this show for them. They may think that they're one voice out of a million, but that one voice still counts. That one voice still matters. So to hear this feedback from even just a few people is always very heartwarming.
TV: You have to be very courageous to take on this storyline. What was your process in general with Gavin and your friends and family to prepare?
HB: I think that us just knowing how incredible this was and knowing the impact it would have on so many people and the difference it would make is something that outweighed all the negative we could find, which was very few. Not saying that I'm a great actor, but I think a good actor can separate themselves from a role and portray someone and be very invested in that, but when the scene is over pull away and come back to reality. I think that's something Gavin and I were focused on and the fact that in the moment it was Jude and Connorit's not Hayden and Gavin. That was something that helped us get over that kind of idea. Just having all that positive feedback, it just made it where you want to do these types of things because you know it's making a difference and it's for the better.
TV: Did you seek out advice from anyone in the acting community when taking on this storyline?
HB: The acting coach on The Fosters helped me understand this is just a regular relationship. He helped me realize even though it's two boys, it's a normal relationshipthey still have the same issues and differences between the two of them. It's just two guys instead of a guy and a girl. I didn't necessarily go to anyone for help because they saw I was fairly comfortable with this role because of looking at it through a different lens.
TV: What do you hope to see with Jude and Connor's relationship and how it progresses?
HB: I think it will just continue to touch on different topics. We've gone with Jude struggling with his sexuality, and now we're talking about him in a relationship struggling with the issues with that. We'll just continue to see evolution between the two of them. I'm not exactly sure how far that will go, but as of right now, it's just continuing.
TV: How do you think television has evolved and shown more gay and lesbian relationships over the years? You're still young, but have you noticed a lot of change from when you were a kid?
HB: I think TV is a lot more open nowadays. There are numerous shows and movies that have gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender characters. I think just having that wide variety of shows has really changed the world. The type of feedback you would have gotten from a show like The Fosters 40 years ago would be very different than the feedback we're getting now. Over time, as more of these shows come out, it just changes people's perspective on it and it changes the world.
TV: In real life, you're vocal about bullying and you played a disabled character, Micah, on Parenthood. Do you have any advice for struggling teens?
HB: I've had bullying experiences for being a smart kid in school and liking learning—that's something I always got bullied for when I was younger. I may have been bullied for different things, but it still hurts the same way and it's someone trying to make you feel bad. I think that as time progresses, it shapes you and molds you into the person you will become when you're older. You're going to go through experiences in your life that are hard and painful at times, but that's only going to help you progress toward being an adult and being someone who's a good person. If you have a bad experience with something, you'll feel sympathy for others who have those experiences and try to make sure you never have someone else have that experience or feel the way you did.
To people who are getting bullied, stand up for yourself. Maybe it's not the best advice, but I would say take a stand and try to make a difference with that person or talk to someone about it. Your parents, a school counselor, or even a teacher—someone close to you who's a little bit older and has more life experience. As you get older, it will get better. It may be a little rough now, but there are some places where the road is not yet paved.
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