Netflix Saves Sesame Street And Its LGBTQ-Inclusive Stories
Sesame Street is preserving LGBTQ+ stories, its families stories, and the representation children need.
123 Sesame Street feels like an address that still welcomes everyone to a soft, safe space in this cultural climate that is increasingly hostile to inclusion. This week, on the heels of the current administration’s proposed funding cut to PBS, Sesame Workshop announced a new partnership with Netflix. The deal would ensure that the beloved program’s upcoming 56th season—and over 90 hours of archival episodes—will remain widely accessible. Its availability on Netflix will expand the show’s global reach while ensuring that new episodes will still air on PBS and PBS Kids, keeping them free for families across the United States. In the face of federal threats to public broadcasting and right-wing efforts to label educational content as outdated or unnecessary (read as a veiled banned book attempt), Sesame Street has chosen to double down on inclusion. And for LGBTQ+ families, this matters.
Since its debut in 1969, Sesame Street has centered on representation and equity long before any other educational program. Over the decades, it has consistently shown what community care looks like: neighbors who celebrate differences, respect one another’s feelings, and learn from one another. While its approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion has evolved with the times, its core message that everyone belongs has stood the test of time.
In 2021, the show aired a landmark “Family Day” episode introducing Dave and Frank, a gay couple raising their daughter Mia. It was simply part of the block party—two dads showing up with cupcakes, hugging their kids. This quiet, joyful normalization is what Sesame Street has always done best. Beyond that, the show has included segments spotlighting real-life children with same-sex parents and welcomed openly LGBTQ+ guests over the years, weaving LGBTQ+ representation into the fabric of its neighborhood without fanfare.
But not everyone sees that as a virtue. In May 2025, Trump halted government funding for PBS and NPR, citing ideological bias and calling their content “nonessential.”
The Netflix deal is more than just a savvy media shift, it’s a lifeline. It ensures that families of all configurations—LGBTQ+, blended, chosen—can still find themselves reflected on screen. It also shows that even in a climate of censorship and funding cuts, some institutions are stepping up to preserve and expand inclusive storytelling.
While Season 56 will introduce a refreshed format, the goal is still the same: to teach children kindness, curiosity, and confidence—values that are increasingly radical today. It’s still teaching kids that families come in all shapes and sizes, all colors, and all pronouns. Most importantly, though, it is reminding us that love makes a family and that everyone is welcome on the block.
Related: New Jersey Governor Signs Law Protecting LGBTQ & Race-Related Books
