"Who Knew...?"

I found this satirical short film from 2002 saddening, silly, and true... It embodied all the fears of internalized homophobia that torture men who can't accept the reality of their hearts. It also reminded me of Stephen Christopher Harris, not only because he suffers from similar fears, but also because one of his pastimes is keeping track of who is gay amongst the notable and the famous.

Of course Bert and Ernie are gay... And the world knows it...

"Bert and Ernie conduct themselves in the same loving, discreet way that millions of gay men, women and hand puppets do. They do their jobs well and live a splendidly settled life together in an impeccably decorated cabinet."

- "The Real Thing" by Kurt Andersen, 1980

"Bert and Ernie are two grown men sharing a house and a bedroom. They share clothes, eat and cook together and have blatantly effeminate characteristics. In one show Bert teaches Ernie how to sew. In another they tend plants together. If this isn't meant to represent a homosexual union, I can't imagine what it's supposed to represent."

- Reverend Joseph Chambers on his radio show, 1994

Even the official "denials" gives it away...

"Bert and Ernie, who've been on Sesame Street for 25 years, do not portray a gay couple, and there are no plans for them to do so in the future. They are puppets, not humans. Like all the Muppets created for Sesame Street, they were designed to help educate preschoolers. Bert and Ernie are characters who help demonstrate to children that despite their differences, they can be good friends."

- Children's Television Workshop Consumer Response Prepared Statement, 1993

"They are not gay, they are not straight, they are puppets," says CTW President and CEO Gary Knell. "They don't exist below the waist."

- "Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street," p. 47

"Fear Eats the Soul"