High School Musical’s Ryan Is Openly Gay (and in Love!) in HSM:TM:TS Season 4 — Watch Sneak Peek

Long-suffering High School Musical fans, prepare to feel extremely vindicated.

Following nearly two decades of speculation, the character of Ryan Evans (played by Lucas Grabeel) is confirmed to be gay in the final season of Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

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Allow us to set the (very meta) scene: the mockumentary’s upcoming season finds the original HSM cast returning to the real East High to film a fourth movie in the franchise. In advance of the show’s Aug. 9 premiere, Disney+ has released a clip of “High School Reunion,” a song from the fictional fourth film, which includes a gasp-worthy moment for invested viewers.

The clip features Grabeel taking the stage as Ryan, alongside several of his fellow Wildcats — Chad (Corbin Bleu), Taylor (Monique Coleman) and Martha (Kaycee Stroh) — to wish Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) a happy retirement. During a break from the action, we see Ryan approach his partner (played by Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying), with whom he shares a kiss.

“This means so much to me,” Ryan tells his partner around the 1:25 mark, and we’re pretty sure fans will feel the same way. Watch:

“People have always asked me if Ryan was gay,” Grabeel told TVLine back in 2019. “I’ve seen a lot of performances from the tours or high schools or community theaters, and they always take Ryan to that place of being way over the top. That’s fine, but that’s not exactly the way I played it. I had a lot of talks with [director Kenny Ortega] about his own experience in high school. He was not out … but he had that energy inside of him. It’s such an important time in your life, and you’re figuring so many things out. Now, thankfully, people are much more accepting and welcoming of other people’s differences.”

Wherever she is, we’re sure that Ryan’s prom date Kelsey is simply devastated. (Just kidding, she’s probably gay too!)

Hit PLAY on the video above for a sneak peek at HSM:TM:TS‘ fourth and final season, then drop a comment with your thoughts on Ryan’s confirmation below.

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