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The beloved children's show Sesame Street recently tweeted its support for Pride Month, expressing a message of inclusion and self-expression. However, as expected, the post drew a wave of backlash from bigoted individuals who hurled abusive comments and called for boycotts.
Sesame Street took to Twitter to share a message in support of Pride Month, emphasizing the celebration of "inclusion, belonging, and freedom of authentic self-expression."
The post featured various colored heart emojis and included a graphic of the Progress Pride flag adorned with smiling Sesame Street characters.
You can see it below.
\u201cOn our Street, we celebrate inclusion, belonging, and freedom of authentic self-expression. Happy #PrideMonth to all the people in our neighborhoods! \u2764\ufe0f\ud83e\udde1\ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc9a\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc97\ud83e\udd0d\ud83e\udd0e\ud83d\udda4\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
Sesame Street also posted a similar message on Instagram expressing its commitment to "celebrate and uplift the LGBTQIA+ members of our community."
However, the tweet quickly attracted bigoted responses from individuals who made often homophobic and derogatory remarks.
\u201c@sesamestreet Why do children need to be taught about sexual intercourse between same sex couples?\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
\u201c@sesamestreet It was a great run. \n\nThank you for all you did to make me the man I am today, Sesame Street, and for doing so much to make my world a better place. I regret that my own sons will not have that opportunity, though I am glad Bob was spared from this.\n\nAll the best.\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
\u201c@sesamestreet Guess what my kids won\u2019t be watching?\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
\u201c@sesamestreet Stop teaching kids pronouns!\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
\u201c@sesamestreet The Sesame Street of my childhood is dead \u2620\ufe0f\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
However, others praised the program for standing strong in its support for marginalized communities.
\u201c@sesamestreet So sad to see so many bigots in the replies. I\u2019m happy kids and families will always be included and belong on Sesame Street! Over 50 years of great programming! Can\u2019t wait for another 50!\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
\u201c@sesamestreet Happy Pride, Sesame Street! If you'd told me when I was a kid first watching you that we'd get here some day, it would have made growing up a whole lot easier.\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
\u201c@sesamestreet Thank you! Happy Pride!\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
\u201c@sesamestreet This was the only show I was allowed to watch when I was little for the longest time. I\u2019m grateful now.\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
And let's not forget this zinger of a response.
\u201c@sesamestreet This is absolutely disgusting and sets a terrible example for our chlldren. \n\nAll over the UK, any child could see this and believe that it\u2019s acceptable to spell \u2018neighbourhood\u2019 without a \u2018u.\u2019\u201d— Sesame Street (@Sesame Street) 1686578402
Sesame Street's support and recognition of LGBTQ+ identities has evolved over the years.
HBO and HBO Max—now Max—have been the home for new episodes of the program since 2016. The episodes air on PBS about a year later.
Prior to 2018, the show rarely addressed the existence of LGBTQ+ people. However, it gradually introduced LGBTQ+ imagery, featuring visuals of children with same-sex parents and discussing LGBTQ+ families in episodes.
In recent years, Sesame Street has been vocal about Pride month on social media platforms, actively engaging with the LGBTQ+ community and promoting messages of acceptance.
During Pride Month in 2021, Sesame Street took a significant step by introducing its first openly queer characters, Frank and Dave along with their daughter Mia.
This move was widely celebrated as a positive representation of LGBTQ+ families and a testament to the show's ongoing commitment to inclusivity.