'Modern Family' season 8 spoilers, plot news: Series features first transgender child actor; Cam and Mitch to think twice about their parenting style in episode 2

An openly transgender child actor will be joining this Wednesday's "Modern Family."

Tonight's episode, titled "A Stereotypical Day" will feature parents Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) allowing their young daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) to have her transgender friend Tom over for a play-date at their house. Both parents always took pride on raising an open-minded and accepting child. That pride, however, quickly fades after Lily begins insulting her friend—which Cam and Mitch will use as a teachable moment.

Meanwhile, just about everyone in the blended family is trying to breakout from their stereotypes. Jay (Ed O'Neil) sees a new family moving across the street and worries about giving them a wrong impression about him, so he goes out of his way to becoming the best kind of neighbor. Manny (Rico Rodriguez), on the other hand, realizes that the best way to an attractive teenage girl's heart is through his actions. At the Dunphy house, the entire family uses Alex's (Ariel Winter) recent bout with mono to their advantage. Cam and Mitch will also take some time analyzing themselves as parents after overhearing how Lily insulted her friend, Tom.

Lily's friend Tom will be portrayed by 8-year old transgender child actor Jackson Millarker. Ryan Case, who directed "A Stereotypical Day," shared a photo of her and Milllarker on set through an Instagram post. "This is Jackson Millarker. He's 8 years old, from Atlanta, and just happens to be transgender. He plays Lily's friend Tom in this week's Modern Family and he's wonderful. One of the many reasons I love being a part of this show," she wrote in the caption.

 In a recent interview, executive producer Christopher Lloyd teased how Lily's new friend will make her parents think twice about their own views on the subject of gender "Lily is coming into her own," Lloyd told Entertainment Weekly. "I don't want to say she's an outspoken preteen because she's been outspoken since she could talk, but she does have an interesting relationship with a friend, who may be considering a transition or has some gender-identity questions, which in turn leads Cam and Mitch to question how liberated they are. They are quick to judge other people, but how entirely liberated are they?"

The eighth season of "Modern Family" airs every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.