Monday, March 23, 2015

The Fosters' Jude and Connor Speak Out About Their *Kiss*

When the characters of Jude and Connor shared a kiss on an episode of ABC Family's The Fosters earlier this month, they made television history.
Theirs is believed to have been the youngest same-sex kiss on the small screen and these two best friends continue to explore their feelings for each other.
The series follows the lives of the Foster family which is headed by an interracial lesbian couple who are raising a blended family of biological, adopted and foster children.
Jude (Hayden Byerly) came to the family as an abused foster child and was subsequently adopted into the family. He began questioning his sexuality and the nature of his feelings for his best friend Connor (Gavin MacIntosh).
'People are so happy that Jude and Connor are not necessarily a couple but just great friends,' Byerly, 14, said at the GLAAD Media Awards over the weekend. 'They've got a great friendship and people love how they stick up for one another and how they are very connected,' Byerly added. 'Sometimes it's very easy for Connor and I to feel very close on camera because Gavin and I are like brothers off set.'
MacIntosh, who turned 16 on Sunday (21 March), is proud to be a part of the show and the storyline.
Fan feedback has been overwhelmingly positive
'I've had a lot of positive feedback from people on social media so it's been great,' he said. 'It has just had such an impact on people, so many people are affected by this. I didn't really think about it before but when it actually happened and the show aired, it was amazing just being a part of that.'
The young actors were accompanied down the carpet at the GLAAD event by the show's co-creators and executive producers Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg who were quick to sing their praises. 'They are the most extraordinary, mature, intelligent and insightful young men,' said Paige. 'We are so lucky to have found them. I can't say enough good things.' ABC Family asked for the kiss to wait until the second season.
Paige, who first came to fame playing Emmett on Showtime's Queer as Folk, said aside from 'some trolls,' the response to the Connor-Jude kiss has been overwhelmingly positive. 'I'm so proud that we put that kiss on the air,' he said. 'It's so simple and true and lovely and I'm so grateful to ABC Family for recognizing that. We pitched it in season one and they said, "We would be much more comfortable if you'd wait until season 2. And to their credit in season 2 they were all up for it.
'There was never a question,' he added. 'They also saw the fan investment in that relationship.
We did some testing and that couple tested higher than any other couple in the show - including our moms which is just unbelievable.
They realized the appetite for this is more than we could have hoped.' Bredeweg called the show and the Jude and Connor storyline 'a dream come true for Peter and I because if we had something like this on the air when we were growing up, it would have made a world of difference. So for us to be able to put this out into the world is such a pleasure.'
Last weeks show, had Connor informing his homophobic father, he was gay.
The season two finale of The Fosters airs on ABC Family tonight and the show has already been renewed for season three which begins production early next month.

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