by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A Facebook campaign has been mounted by homosexual activists to pressure PBS into allowing the two most famous Sesame Street characters, Bert and Ernie, to get married as a way of showing children that same-sex marriage is normal.
According to a variety of news sources, the petition campaign was launched by Lair Scott, a gay activist from Chicago who believes that allowing the characters to marry could help bullied and struggling LGBT youth to “know they ARE BEAUTIFUL and their lives are worth living.”
In an overview of the petition drive, Scott says it will also teach children “that homophobia is NOT okay.”
He goes on to say that “We are not asking that Sesame Street do anything crude or disrespectful. Only that they allow Bert & Ernie to marry or even add a transgender character to the show. It can be done in a tasteful way. Let us teach tolerance of those that are different. Let Sesame Street and PBS Kids be a big part in saving many worthy lives.”
Thus far, over 2,000 people have “liked” the Facebook page, but its wall is littered with arguments between those who agree and those who oppose.
As for the producers of one of the longest running children’s shows in history, they’re not buying it.
“Bert and Ernie are best friends,” the non-profit Sesame Workshop said in a statement. “They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves.
“Even though the Sesame Street Muppets … possess many human traits and characteristics, they have no sexual orientation.”
The public also seems to be weighing in on the opposing side of this debate.
As MarcDonato commented on the New York Daily News site, ” What’s next?? Calls from the gay community to have Peppermint Patty from ‘Peanuts’ come out as a lesbian with a crush on Lucy?”
MoonChido2 said: “When I was a kid, I always thought that Bert and Ernie were brothers. The thought of a romantic relationship between them never even occurred to me. Why make it something that it’s not? To be ‘politically correct’?”
A commenter named Fottiti said it perhaps best of all: ” Why must everything be about gays? This is getting out of control.”
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