‘Sesame Street’ Co-Creator: It’s Great People Think Bert and Ernie Are Gay

Frank Oz, the puppeteer who created Sesame Street’s beloved characters Bert and Ernie and voiced Bert, disappointed millions of fans when he disputed a claim by another writer on the show, Mark Salzman, that Bert and Ernie were a gay couple. However, Oz on Friday appeared to try to bring harmony where there was discord, writing on Twitter: “A last thought: If Jim [Henson] and I had created B & E as gay characters they would be inauthentic coming from two straight men. However, I have now learned that many view them as representative of a loving gay relationship. And that’s pretty wonderful. Thanks for helping me understand.” Sesame Street has always officially maintained that none of its characters have a sexual orientation.