Jonathan Bennett Stars in Hallmark’s New LGBTQ-inclusive Christmas Rom-Com

Out Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett will be starring in Hallmark’s new Christmas rom-com featuring a gay couple.

Bennett will star in in The Christmas House, which will follow the story of a gay couple trying to adopt their first child while heading home to see family, according to the Advocate.

The official synopsis is as follows:

“Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis and patriarch Bill have summoned their two grown sons — Mike and Brandon [played by Bennett] — home for the holidays. It is their hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community. As Brandon and his husband, Jake, make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about the adoption of their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi, his high school sweetheart.”

Bennett stars alongside Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), Ana Ayora (In the Dark), Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence, and Brad Harder.

“There are no words, only gratitude to everyone at [Hallmark] and [Buckley] for creating this and being a true ally to the LGBTQ+ community,” Bennett wrote on Instagram of the film.

The movie is the first of Hallmark’s to include a gay storyline. It comes after the channel announced in July that their annual holiday movie lineup would include more LGBTQ stories.

“Our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever,” said Michelle Vicary, the executive vice president of programming for Crown Media Family Network. “This year’s movies reflect our most diverse representation of talent, narratives, and families. Our movies are rooted in warmth and positivity, meaningful connections, family gatherings, and seasonal traditions—a winning formula we hope will bring our millions of viewers much-needed levity and holiday cheer at the end of a tough year.”

 The Christmas House will premiere on Sunday, November 22 at 8pm on the Hallmark Channel. You can find Hallmark’s full schedule of movies here.