THE WORD ON THE STREET IS ...
A Sesame Street writer has outed Bert and Ernie. The Muppets have been mainstays of the long-running children’s program since it began and while there’s always been speculation, a longtime writer has now confirmed their relationship.
Writer Mark Saltzman told LGBT publication Queerty he wrote them as a “loving couple” based on his longtime relationship with a man.“I didn’t have any other way to contextualize them,” Saltzman said.
Sesame Workshop posted on Twitter Tuesday: “As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves.
“Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics … they remain puppets and do not have a sexual orientation.”