"Happy #PrideMonth from Sesame Street! Join us in celebrating and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ members of our community," the show posted June 1, 2026, according to a roundup of pride month corporate and cultural messages.

The backlash was swift. Many parents and conservative commentators said a program created for small children has no business promoting pride month, arguing that toddlers and preschoolers are too young to understand concepts involving sexual orientation and gender identity.

"Sesame Street is a program created for children between the ages of 2 and 6-years-old," said Newsmax host Todd Starnes. "This smacks of grooming. When someone asks how they can get to Sesame Street, parents should take their kids and run the other way."

The controversy echoed last year's firestorm, when "Sesame Street" posted, "On our street, everyone is welcome. Together, let's build a world where every person and family feels loved and respected for who they are. Happy #PrideMonth!" That post drew more than 23 million views and triggered demands from Republican lawmakers to defund PBS.

Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) did not mince words. "PBS is shamelessly grooming our children while collecting taxpayer dollars," she wrote. "This is evil and should infuriate every parent in America. DEFUND!!"

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) also called for cutting off public funding. "Federal funds aren't for grooming. Through Sesame Street characters or otherwise. Defund PBS," he wrote in response to a separate "Sesame Street" clip featuring "Queer Eye" personality Jonathan Van Ness.

And that's exactly what happened when Congress defunded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit that distributed federal money to PBS, NPR and other media stations.

Christian critics framed the issue as a battle over childhood innocence and Biblical truth. The Denison Forum warned last year that "Sesame Street is once again seeking to influence children with LGBTQ ideology for pride month," adding that Believers must "counter the secularizing influence of the broken culture with our children and grandchildren."

Top social media comments reflected the outrage. One X user called the latest pride message "Really sick." Another wrote, "This is abhorrent." A third warned it was "a great reason to never allow children to watch your programming," while another asked, "Are you into grooming kids these days?"

Supporters praised the post as inclusive, but conservatives say that misses the point: "Sesame Street" is aimed at very young children—not adults, activists or political interest groups. Critics argue parents, not Big Bird and Elmo, should decide when and how children learn about sexuality, gender and pride month.

"I'm curious to know why Sesame Street is teaching 2-year-olds about queer, intersex and transgender ideology," Starnes noted. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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