executive producer and head writer bradley bell revealed that the story came about because he wanted to "present [mosley] with something very dramatic, something timely and topical, and i wanted her to have a secret and i thought about if she was transgender from the very beginning and i got very excited." though he admitted to being a "little bit concerned" about potential backlash, bell said, "we need to take minds that have been closed and open them up a little." bell seemed to relish in touching on a transgender story from such a fresh perspective. "it's a new story, because the ability to do this wasn't around 20 years ago" he said. "a big part of the story is her being transgender with the man she loves" bell said. he continued, "i'm curious to see how he reacts." the story provides an "in-depth look at disclosure: the right and appropriate time to say something. when is waiting too long, when is too early?" the producers partnered with the glaad organization to craft the story. representatives from the organization sat in on story meetings and helped to review scripts. glaad director nick adams was actually very hands-on in the writing process as far as helping to get the terminology correct. after the reveal when maya reclaims her position as the face of "forrester creations", the fictional company holds a fashion show featuring transgender models. bell said the episodes which aired on july 16 and july 17, "speaks to our continued commitment to maya's story and to the transgender community." brad bell insisted that mosley would be "front and center" as "the star of our show. we are not going to be doing this story around the edges." he continued, "we're digging deep in this story, every facet and avenue." bell described it as "experimental tv". whether it's done right or wrong, "people will object to it." the story features transgender actors in recurring and guest-star roles. the lead-up to maya's confession to rick and her public exposure feature trans actor scott turner schofield in the role of nick, maya's close friend and mentor.