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Sesame Street Celebrates Pride, Father’s Day With Two Gay Dads
This is the first time the show has featured a same-sex married couple.
Sesame Street got even more diverse this Father's Day weekend when it celebrated "Family Day" by introducing viewers to two gay dads and their adorable daughter!
The episode, which aired Thursday, June 17 during Pride Month, introduced Sesame Street viewers to family members of the show's regular cast, including Dave (Chris Costa), the brother of Nina who owns a bike store on the street, his husband Frank (Alex Weisman), and their daughter Mia.
In the episode, Nina introduces Dave and Frank to Elmo, Big Bird, Abby, and the rest of the crew. "Elmo's so happy that you're all here!" the classic character shouts.
"Sesame Street has always been a welcoming place of diversity and inclusion," Alan Muraoka, who plays Alan on the show and co-directed the episode, said on Facebook. "So I'm so excited to introduce Nina's Brother Dave, his husband Frank, and their daughter Mia to our sunny street."
He continued: "I am so honored and humbled to have co-directed this important and milestone episode. Love is love, and we are so happy to add this special family to our Sesame family. Happy Pride to all!!!!"
GLAAD's president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, who is also the mother of twins, also chimed in on Twitter. "The 'Family Day' episode of Sesame Street sends the simple and important message that families come in all forms and that love and acceptance are always the most important ingredients in a family," she wrote.
"Frank and Dave, as Mia's dads, are the latest characters in an undeniable trend of inclusion across kids & family programming, one that allows millions of proud LGBTQ parents, and our children, to finally get to see families like ours reflected on TV," she added.
\u201cThe \u2018Family Day\u2019 episode of Sesame Street sends the simple and important message that families come in all forms and that love and acceptance are always the most important ingredients in a family. https://t.co/vpu64aEurS\u201d— Sarah Kate Ellis (@Sarah Kate Ellis) 1624043266
It's great to see same-sex families portrayed so positively on a show meant for small children and their families. While Sesame Street has discussed LGBTQ+ families in the past, this was the first time a same-sex married couple has been featured on the show.
The episode can be watched on HBO Max and on YouTube.
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Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
