Republican lawmakers rip Sesame Street for Pride post

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Republican lawmakers have renewed their efforts to defund PBS following a Sesame Street social media post that celebrated the beginning of Pride month.

“On our street, everyone is welcome,” the long-running children’s show wrote Sunday on X. “Together, let’s build a world where every person and family feels loved and respected for who they are. Happy #PrideMonth!”

The post included an illustration featuring the arms of Sesame Street characters holding hands and arranged in a rainbow of colours.

It went viral and had been viewed more than 25 million times as of Wednesday afternoon.

Republicans criticized the post for being “woke” and called for the public broadcaster to be defunded.

“PBS is shamelessly grooming our children while collecting taxpayer dollars,” Congresswoman Mary Miller of Illinois wrote Monday.

“This is evil and should infuriate every parent in America. DEFUND!”

In a subsequent post Tuesday, Miller reiterated her call for the cancellation of funds going to PBS and NPR.

“The woke mob is coming for our kids, and they’re using taxpayer dollars to do it,” she wrote.

“President (Donald) Trump’s rescissions package to defund PBS, NPR, and USAID must be brought to the floor for a vote this week. It cannot wait!”

Mike Lee, a Republican senator representing Utah, also called for an end to PBS funding.

“Federal funds aren’t for grooming,” he wrote Monday, quoting a post featuring a clip of Elmo, Cookie Monster and Johnathan Van Ness of Netflix’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”

“Through Sesame Street characters or otherwise. Defund PBS.”

On Sunday, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky told Margaret Brennan of CBS News’ ‘Face The Nation’ that he is supportive of funding cuts to public television.

“I don’t think we necessarily need government programs any more,” he said. “We have so many choices on the internet and so many choices on television.”

On May 1, Trump signed an executive order that sought the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — a publicly-funded non-profit — to end its funding of PBS and NPR.

“Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options,” the order reads. “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”

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