Conservatives often feel triggered by Sesame Street over its progressive values.
On June 1, the official Sesame Street social media account posted a simple message of acceptance for LGBTQ+ people to honor the start of Pride Month.
“Happy #PrideMonth from Sesame Street!” it read. “Join us in celebrating and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ members of our community.”
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The text was accompanied by a close-up photo of the colorful characters’ fur, striped to make a rainbow.
As is par for the course on social media these days for any company that supports the LGBTQ+ community, conservatives are up in arms, claiming the post is akin to sexualizing children.
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The outrage has come from a variety of popular right-wing social media accounts, including Libs of TikTok, Turning Point USA, and Gays Against Groomers, the latter of which declared, “PRIDE IS NOT FOR KIDS.”
Libs of TikTok – which has been accused of stochastic terrorism for spreading anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda about schools and teachers – was so enraged about Sesame Street’s message that it posted twice – once in the replies and once as a repost.
Thousands of others piled on the hate, with many accusing the show of grooming children by teaching them to accept LGBTQ+ people. “Groomer” is the slur Republicans give to LGBTQ+ people and allies who want to tell kids it’s okay to be themselves.
Sesame Street has long supported LGBTQ+ people and has a history of celebrating Pride Month.
The show has also prioritized LGBTQ+ inclusion over the past few decades, featuring a smattering of out celebrity guests and introducing a married gay couple with a daughter in 2021.
Conservatives often feel triggered by Sesame Street over its progressive values. In 2021, the official Twitter account for the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) posted a graphic that showed Ernie, Bert, and Big Bird with a big red “X” next to their images and the words “NOT INVITED.”
“Big Bird & Big Gov. Mandates?” the text accompanying the image read. “NO THANK YOU.” The message seemed to imply anger at the show for supporting the COVID-19 vaccines.
This year’s Pride is also experiencing an outsized backlash due to growing Republican anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. A new Gallup poll found that Republican support for LGBTQ+ people has dropped to its lowest point since 2010, no doubt due to the official Republican party’s increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ equality as a way to rile up their base and gain support.
The poll found Republicans’ support for LGBTQ+ rights has been steadily declining throughout the 2020s, while independents’ and Democrats’ support has held steady. This is perhaps because Republicans tend to live in a different media atmosphere than most Americans, viewing cable news, podcasts, and social media content that depicts LGBTQ+ people as threats to children.
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