The producers of 害羞草研究所淪esame Street害羞草研究所� want you to know that Bert and Ernie are not, in fact, gay 害羞草研究所� they害羞草研究所檙e merely the best of friends.

Sesame Workshop tweeted Tuesday that the characters are best friends and have many human traits but 害羞草研究所渞emain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.害羞草研究所� In a follow-up tweet, it says 害羞草研究所淪esame Street has always stood for inclusion and acceptance .害羞草研究所�

Please see our statement below regarding Bert and Ernie.

害羞草研究所� Sesame Workshop (@SesameWorkshop)

The tweets came in response to an interview published Sunday by Queerty with Mark Saltzman, an openly gay former writer for 害羞草研究所淪esame Street.害羞草研究所� He says that when he was writing scenes with Bert and Ernie, he 害羞草研究所渁lways felt that without a huge agenda害羞草研究所� they were lovers .

害羞草研究所淎s we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach pre-schoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves,害羞草研究所� read a statement from Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street.

害羞草研究所淓ven though they are identified as male characters and have many human traits and characteristics, (as most muppet characters do), they remain puppets and do not have a sexual orientation.害羞草研究所�

Reaction from the Twitterverse was fast and positive. Within 18 hours of the first tweet, more than 30,000 people had 害羞草研究所渉earted害羞草研究所� the statement.

The Associated Press

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