Gavin Macintosh On That 'Fosters' Jonner Kiss

After what felt like an eternity of back-and-forth with Jude's LGBT storyline, The Fosters ' Jude and Connor kissed on the series' Mar. 2 episode, "Now Here This." But, as it turns out, this story might not be about Jude after all. Following the "Jonnor Kiss," as its been dubbed by fans, Fosters star Gavin Macintosh talks that groundbreaking Jonnor kiss scene, his hopes for the pair's potential relationship, and how, he says, "It’s crazy to think that playing a character on TV can change someone’s life and it’s amazing to be a part of that."

It's been an interesting and difficult season for Macintosh's Connor — earlier on The Fosters Season 2, the series introduced his homophobic and abusive father, which caused a major rift between Connor and Jude, and then there was that unseen kiss in the tent and the confusion that's followed. But, that's part of, what Macintosh believes, makes Connor a relatable and important character on the series. The 15-year-old actor tells Bustle about what Connor's going through, "It’s something that a lot of kids and teens are struggling with right now — they’re young and they don’t know if it’s right to be gay or bisexual or straight or whatever they are." And, when it comes to what might be a difficult situation with Connor's father, Macintosh hopes that his character's struggle will be relatable to other teens, "They just don’t know if it’s right or wrong and when your parents don’t support you on top of that it’s just a huge weight on your shoulders."

So, what's up next for this potential couple? Macintosh just hopes that, whether they become romantic or not, Jude and Connor can stay friends and get through it together. "I’m hoping that it continues to evolve no matter what happens with them in terms of a relationship, that they’ll still be friends no matter what," he says. "No one’s ever had an episode like that," the actor says about the kissing scene with costar Hayden Byerly, "it’s pretty groundbreaking." And Fosters fans have been noticing.

"There’s been so much love and grace from the fans and I really appreciate it on Twitter and Instagram. There are so many people telling stories and thanking Connor for what he’s helped them do," Macintosh tells Bustle. "It’s amazing to see all of the people that are so thankful for the scene and, for Hayden and I, it was just one of a kind."

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