Parents decry Sesame Street's LGBT 'grooming' tactics after footage from past Elmo show goes viral

(LifeSiteNews) -- Parents are outraged after footage of a prominent LGBT activist who appeared on The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo in 2020 resurfaced on social media this week.

The flamboyant Jonathan Van Ness, best known for his role as a grooming expert on Netflix’s reboot of the show Queer Eye, offered to show characters Elmo and Cookie Monster his “monster piece” and introduced a new character during the broadcast: 

Van Ness, who is also known for his web series “Gay of Thrones” and the podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, claims the pronouns “he/she/they,” identifies as “non-binary,” or identifying as neither sex, and has been recognized for his LGBT advocacy.

Many parents felt that Van Ness’s appearance constituted another type of grooming entirely. “Sesame Street pushing boundaries again? Jonathan Van Ness’s appearance was for older kids, but is this really about diversity or an agenda? Parents, are you okay with this shift, or is it time to rethink what’s acceptable for our children?” said one on X. 

“This is not okay at all. I support adults acting in a manner they choose with responsibility and respect. Time and place matter. This is downright wrong. This does not belong in children's programming. Whoever is at the helm, needs to be held accountable,” another concurred.  

“Sesame Street will never be the same as when I grew up. This is so awful and disgusting to see! Keep your kids away from Sesame Street!” a third wrote. 

READ: Even notorious leftist Bill Maher is calling out the LGBT grooming of children

Van Ness’s appearance, however, is not the only time Sesame Street has presented LGBT themes to children.  

In a 2018 Father’s Day episode, a boy was shown with two dads, with the narration: “You might have a stepdad, or even two dads.” Later that year, an episode on the letter “F” for “family” featured a child introducing his two mothers and stating: “I love my moms.” In 2020, Sesame Street posted a rainbow-colored Muppet to social media with the caption: “On our street, we accept all, we love all, and we respect all. Happy #PrideMonth!”  

Since 2020, expressions of support for “Pride” have been standard for Sesame Street, and in the 2021 “Family Day” episode, the show made its tacit support for the LGBT agenda explicit by introducing a “married” gay couple, Dave and Frank, with their daughter Mia. The theme: “Love makes a family.” Mainstreaming and normalizing the LGBT agenda to children has become Sesame Street’s open agenda, as well. 

As I have noted often in this space – and in an entire chapter of my recent book How We Got Here: A Guide to Our Anti-Christian Culture – there are few children’s franchises left that have not featured LGBT content, and those that are still holding out are likely to follow suit.  

Blue’s Clues has featured “Pride” content, including a LGBT parade float with a post-operation trans-identifying beaver with chest scars. My Little Pony has featured a lesbian couple. Nickelodeon’s The Loud House has a family with two dads. The Disney Channel’s Owl House has multiple “queer” characters and a bisexual main character. Muppet Babies featured a cross-dressing Gonzo.  

When we permit our children to watch stories onscreen, we are essentially inviting storytellers into our home to speak to our children. Many of these shows and entertainment companies wield the power of nostalgia over parents: Sesame Street, Walt Disney, and other franchises created defining childhood memories for millions. That fact, however, should be a wakeup call for parents.  

These franchises are now operated by LGBT activists openly seeking to influence the upcoming generation, and parents rightly concerned about events such as Drag Queen Story Hour at public libraries and in elementary schools should realize that by turning on their own favorite childhood show, they might just be hosting one of those events in their own home.