(NewsReady.com) – Backlash is growing around the country over corporations’ embrace of inclusivity as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community. Target, Budweiser, Chick-fil-A, and other companies have been on the receiving end of boycotts over the issue. The beloved children’s television show “Sesame Street” is now also under fire.
On June 1, the first day of Pride Month, the “Sesame Street” Twitter account shared a clip of Elmo and Ariana DeBose celebrating the community. The actress said that “everyone is always welcome on Sesame Street.” She went on to say they wanted to uplift the LGBTQ+ community “this month and every month.” Elmo chimed in and expressed a similar sentiment.
The next day, a photo of the show’s characters joining hands in a pattern that resembled a rainbow was shared on Twitter. The caption said the television program was celebrating “diversity and unity” while spreading “love and acceptance” this Pride Month.
On June 7, the television program shared another pro-LGBTQ+ message and then did so again on June 12.
There were mixed reactions to the posts. While there was certainly a great deal of support, others accused the television show of trying to groom children. Others asked why it was making such a big deal over who was having intimate relations with who. A Twitter user named DEL, whose bio says he’s a military veteran, asked Jesus to “take the wheel and drive fast” because he said it’s a “MAJOR departure” from what the show taught when he was a child.
This isn’t the first time “Sesame Street” has angered people with its Pride Month content. The show has been celebrating the LGBTQ+ community for years. In 2021, the program introduced its first gay couple. In 2022, it aired a song that celebrated families, including those with same-sex parents.
Each time the program has catered to the LGBTQ+ community, it has faced backlash from parents who want their kids to learn about letters and numbers, not about what adults do in the privacy of their own bedrooms.
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