PBS kids' show Sesame Street continues sexual messaging with pride post
One of TV’s longest-running children's shows is facing backlash for once again linking its puppets to homosexuality on social media.
Sesame Street shared a post on social media Tuesday, which read: “Happy Pride Month from Sesame Street! Join us in celebrating and uplifting the [gay and lesbian] members of our community.”
The post also included an image featuring different rainbow-colored furs resembling puppet characters from Sesame Street, such as Elmo, Cookie Monster and others.
Primarily geared toward toddlers, the PBS series — which was acquired last year by Netflix — drew the ire of pastors and other Evangelical groups on social media, including Turning Point USA, which criticized Sesame Street for its pro-LGBT messaging.
“This is literally a show meant for children,” TPUSA wrote on X.
Pastor Josh Howerton, senior pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, Texas, also called out Sesame Street for marketing sexual lifestyles to children.
“Guys, there is no universe in which it makes sense to message to children about sexual desires, regardless of worldview,” Howerton wrote. “Stop and think about what you’re doing.”
The backlash comes nearly a year after Sesame Street published similar messaging with a post that featured multi-colored puppet arms clasping in solidarity to resemble the rainbow.
That post drew condemnation even though Sesame Street has posted content in support of the annual pride celebration for several years. In 2019, it shared a post of the hands of several puppet characters reaching toward a rainbow-colored heart.
In 2023, Oscar-winning LGBT-identified actress Ariana DeBose appeared on Sesame Street to mark the start of pride month. The show promoted gay marriage by featuring its first same-sex couple in 2021 in an episode where Elmo meets two men, one of whom is identified as a “husband,” along with their adopted daughter.
Alan Muraoka, one of the regular characters on “Sesame Street,” later shared details about the “Family Day” episode he co-directed in a June 2021 post.
“Sesame Street has always been a welcoming place of diversity and inclusion. So I'm so excited to introduce Nina's Brother Dave, his husband Frank, and their daughter Mia to our sunny street,” Muraoka wrote. “I am so honored and humbled to have co-directed this important and milestone episode. Love is love, and we are so happy to add this special family to our Sesame family. Happy Pride to all!”
Sesame Street’s push for pro-LGBT programming comes as recent surveys indicate public support for same-sex marriage and other related topics has leveled off in the last few years.
Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, released Wednesday, showed support among U.S. adults for legal same-sex marriage is down six points from a 2022-2023 high, while 62% view same-sex relationships as moral — the lowest since 2016.
“The change has come as conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of [gay and lesbian-identified] people and other historically disadvantaged groups,” Gallup stated.
