‘Sesame Street’ Says ‘LGBTQ Rights’ With Progress Pride Flag Lesson

Whitney Houston once sang “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way”. Well, I think Sesame Street took that to heart this Pride Month with a special history lesson on the Progress Pride Flag.

Sesame Street tweeted out “R is for Rainbow! Rainbow flags have been waving in honor of the LGBTQIA+ community since 1978. These symbols continue to evolve and take new forms, like the 2018 Progress Pride Flag by Daniel Quasar. Together, let’s learn what each of these colors represent! #PrideMonth”. Paired with images and definitions of the different sections of the Progress Pride Flag, the tweet made for a cute and informative Pride Month lesson.

But this isn’t the first time the children’s show said “LGBTQ rights” from one of the most famous streets in the media. Sesame Street has also featured numerous queer icons, such as Lil Nas X, Margaret Cho, Janelle Monáe, and Elton John. Additionally, the TV show has celebrated Pride Month with its own set of Pride messages. And in 2021, the show featured a married gay couple with a daughter in the episode “Family Day”, ahead of Father’s Day and during Pride Month. 

And although we are still waiting for Bert and Ernie’s couple reveal on the show, even though they’re based on a gay couple, there’s still that New Yorker Magazine cover to talk about.

Until then, Sesame Street is making strides to highlight LGBTQ inclusion in the media. With many criticizing the inclusion of drag queens performing to children at Pride events, transgender youth facing legislation that controls their bodies, and even more legislation that negatively impacts LGBTQ youth and their families, small gestures like this become a big win for LGBTQ inclusion.