Sesame Workshop Announces: Big Bird is Gay--And Chemically Castrated

Beloved Bird is Gay Rights Hero, Victim of State Violence

In a tweet published at around 4:00 PM on October 21st, Sesame Workshop, the American non-profit organization that produces Sesame Street among other educational children’s media, announced that Big Bird is gay.

"Yep—Big Bird, our beloved avian friend and Sesame Street mainstay since the show’s inception, is gay.” Said Steve Youngwood, Sesame Workshop CEO in an exclusive interview with this publication. “For careful viewers of Sesame Street, this comes as no surprise. We’ve always understood Big Bird to be a queer presence on our show, and it is high time that we confirmed this to the public. Now more than ever, it is important to speak out and represent queer characters and narratives in film and television, especially for young audiences.”

This announcement comes as a part of a series of public statements released in the last few years regarding the identities of Sesame Street characters, in an effort to increase the diversity of the cast. Prior to this announcement, however, all ‘diverse’ characters were new additions to the show. For example, Abby Cadabby, a Sesame Street mainstay added in 2006, is a girl. Lily, an unhoused muppet, and Julia, an autistic muppet, were introduced in 2018 and 2017, respectively. While Sesame Street has tackled other important, pressing topics in the past, this is the first time that Sesame Street is tackling LGBTQIA+ identities.

“Central to Big Bird’s character is his queerness” Youngwood remarks. “Big Bird is an activist and hero of the Gay Rights movement in the UK. Much like Alan Turing, he was chemically castrated due to England’s harsh, regressive, homophobic policies surrounding same-sex relationships and homosexuality in the post-World War II era. After being caught ‘in the act’ so-to-speak by an undercover cop in 1964, Big Bird was convicted of ‘indecent homosexual activity’ and sentenced to five months in prison, as well as chemical castration. After this horrific encounter, his long-term same-sex partner of five years, a British muppet named Topsy Loo, separated from him, leaving him isolated, desperate, and all alone in London. It was then that he decided to move to America, and pursue acting.”

Many on twitter found the announcement encouraging. “I’ve always thought Big Bird was a poofta. Glad to know my suspicions were correct. Boff on, Birdo” wrote one user, @beanslime22. Another user, @yellowdeli wrote, “my great-uncle was chemically castrated by the British Government as well. So glad my son will be able to see someone like his Gunky on TV. This is the kind of representation we need!! Ball’s in your court, Paw Patrol!”.

Others, however, were not as enthusiastic. “I guess I just don’t understand why they put so much emphasis on the chemical castration thing. Now I have to explain to my kid the complexities of state violence. You try explaining Foucault to your three-year-old!”, tweeted @teachamandafish. “It’s weird and out of line, honestly. But I do wonder what those bird balls look like now, yk. Do u think they’r [sic] shriveled af?” responded @selinajames. “I’m confused—can he still cum, then? Also he’s British? Where the fuck did the accent go then?” added user @jojostan99. At the time of publication, both of these tweets have been deleted after both users received a large volume of death threats.

Nevertheless, Sesame Workshop is looking forward to having audiences view Sesame Street’s upcoming episode about intergenerational relationships, in which Big Bird recounts to Julia and Abby Cadabby how he ‘enjoys himself’ despite the chemical castration.

“This is the kind of TV I always dreamed of making as a kid. Real stuff, gritty stuff” Youngwood remarks. “I’m just so honored that I’m making it now”.