The makers of “Sesame Street” say Bert and Ernie are not gay. The statement came on Tuesday after former “Sesame Street” writer Mark Saltzman gave an interview to online LGBT magazine Queerty Sunday asserting that the the classic feuding Muppet characters were gay.
“I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn’t have any other way to contextualize them,” Saltzman said. “I don’t think I’d know how else to write them, but as a loving couple.”
“Sesame Street”, a popular children’s television show, denied the claim saying the characters are simply “best friends.”
The TV show at first tweeted:
“They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most ‘Sesame Street’ Muppets do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.”
That tweet was deleted after many criticized it for seeming anti-gay, and was replaced with a new one which said Sesame Street always stood for inclusion and acceptance.
Please see our most recent statement regarding Bert and Ernie below. pic.twitter.com/gWTF2k1y83
— Sesame Workshop (@SesameWorkshop) September 18, 2018
Those that criticized the TV show said that they were “disappointed” and asked why Muppets can’t be gay.
Would it be so bad if they were supposed to be gay even if they are puppets/muppets? Today, many children realize VERY young when they are LGTBQA & if characters on #SesameStreet helped them, I don't think it would be a bad thing.
— Colleen MacIsaac (@ColleenMacIsaa1) September 18, 2018
So Republicans are worried gay puppets Bert and Ernie are bad role models but totally cool with the treasonous puppet in the White House.
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) September 18, 2018
Others asked if the TV show producers were worried about backlash from Republicans and right-wingers.
So Republicans are worried gay puppets Bert and Ernie are bad role models but totally cool with the treasonous puppet in the White House.
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) September 18, 2018
Ex-Sesame Street writer claims Bert and Ernie are gay. Right-wingers are freaking out about the bad example this supposedly sets for kids while continuing to enable the worst role model to ever sit in the Oval Office.
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) September 18, 2018
Frank Oz, an actor and puppeteer who played Bert, sided with “Sesame Street” on controversy but added that it shouldn’t matter.
It seems Mr. Mark Saltzman was asked if Bert & Ernie are gay. It's fine that he feels they are. They're not, of course. But why that question? Does it really matter? Why the need to define people as only gay? There's much more to a human being than just straightness or gayness.
— Frank Oz (@TheFrankOzJam) September 18, 2018
Another said that what was important was that the characters continue to make us laugh.
Whether Bert and Ernie are gay, straight, bi, pan, asexual, or whatever.
As long as they still continue to make us laugh and teach us to love our friends, no matter how different we may be, that’s all that matters to me.
— Joshua Gillespie (@HalfHearted_JG) September 18, 2018