Man On The Street
This Week’s Question:
Should Bert and Ernie from “Sesame Street” identify as gay?
Name: Steven Nevarez
Major: Marketing
“I think the idea of Bert and Ernie being identified as gay is much more than what they identify as, it’s what we want to tell our children. As a homosexual male myself, I have always thought that I don’t want to be identified by my sexuality. I figured it’s a part of me, it’s not… me. Whether they are gay or not should not matter. Titles to them should not matter. It all boils down to what Sesame Street’s ideals are.”
Name: Katrina Sacurom
Major: Political Science/Criminology
“For Sesame Street to acknowledge the sexuality of Bert and Ernie and make it an overt statement, I just overall think that would be good. I think its good for viewers and audiences to know that it’s okay to be gay, and it’s something super normal. The fact that they are incorporating that in the media is something that is hopefully going to be more apparent over time.”
Name: Demetrio Chapa
Major: Architectural Engineering
“It shouldn’t be stated that they are gay. In the first place, this is a children’s show and particularly for children younger than seven. It doesn’t matter if they are exposed to it. This is just not something that they are going to take into consideration at that time. Other kids don’t even think about dating other guys or liking other guys, they are just going to see each other as friends.”
Name: Briana Chavez
Major: Master of Education
“I don’t think that it really matters, because children that watch that show don’t identify with ‘I’m gay’ or ‘I’m straight’. They identify with the personality of the characters and their behavior. They like a character because of their characteristics and personality, not because they are gay. Not all gay kids will identify with them if they were to come out to be gay. Just as, not all straight kids will identify with the straight characters.”
