Forget Debating Whether Bert and Ernie Are Gay; You Can Bet on it

• Former Sesame Street writer Mark Saltzman nearly broke the Internet this week when he suggested that Bert and Ernie are gay
• Will Sesame Street deal with the character’s sexual orientation in a future episode?
• Will Bert and Ernie eventually share an onscreen kiss? 

Have you heard the word on the Street? Former Sesame Street writer Mark Saltzman reignited years of speculation earlier this week when he suggested Bert and Ernie are a same-sex couple.

Saltzman made the claim in a far-ranging interview on the LGBTQ news and entertainment site Queerty, and went on to say that he modeled the characters after himself and his longtime partner, Arnold Glassman.

The revelation resulted in thousands of memes and instantly became fodder for late night TV.

Let’s be honest: If Bert and Ernie were gay, Bert’s eyebrow would have been addressed by now. pic.twitter.com/eZtqNQxHlD

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 20, 2018

It also provoked a knee jerk reaction from Frank Oz, the Emmy-winning director and puppeteer who created Bert in 1969, a full 15 years before Saltzman joined the show.

It seems Mr. Mark Saltzman was asked if Bert & Ernie are gay. It’s fine that he feels they are. They’re not, of course. But why that question? Does it really matter? Why the need to define people as only gay? There’s much more to a human being than just straightness or gayness.

— Frank Oz (@TheFrankOzJam) September 18, 2018

Sesame Workshop also joined the conversation, making it clear that Bert and Ernie are friends first and foremost, and do not have a defined sexual orientation.

Please see our most recent statement regarding Bert and Ernie below. pic.twitter.com/gWTF2k1y83

— Sesame Workshop (@SesameWorkshop) September 18, 2018

It may be a while before we get a definitive answer, but that hasn’t stopped some sportsbooks from offering a pair of amusing props about the characters’ sexual leaning and the possibility they may come out onscreen.

Odds Sesame Street Announces Bert and Ernie are a Gay Couple by 2019

Sesame Workshop must have known this day was coming, but they seemed oddly caught off guard when the news first broke. They deleted an earlier comment about Bert and Ernie’s sexual orientation and have been backtracking ever since.

The show has never shied away from tackling real world issues, but they appear committed to avoiding the topic of Bert and Ernie’s sexuality. You can count on them exploring same-sex relationships through other, less established characters instead.

Odds Bert and Ernie Share an Onscreen Kiss on Sesame Street by 2019

Characters have certainly kissed before on Sesame Street, but it’s usually a PG peck on the cheek rather than a steamy smooch. The show will likely stay away from having Bert and Ernie lock lips now that they have a better understanding of the cultural and societal impact the gesture would have.