Big Bird Had Gay Parents

In the wake of remarks by Mitt Romney that he would pull the funding from PBS, which sponsors such programming as Sesame Street, a new revelation is hitting the media. Big Bird had gay parents. That’s right, the massive yellow Sesame Street character Big Bird was created by long time gay couple Christopher Lyall and Kermit Love.

In 1969, working from a thumbnail sketch put together by Muppet creator Jim Henson, Lyall and Love constructed the first Big Bird to be used in Sesame Street.

In an interview with the Daily Beast, Christopher Lyall, talks about his life partner Love and how it felt to be a part of something he can turn on the television every day and see.

Lyall said of Love:

“[Kermit] was very particular about the way the bird looked, and he always got his way. He was a very determined person.”

Kermit Love passed away at the age of 92 in 2008. He was a professional costume designer at the time when he met Lyall, who was a dancer. The two got together when Lyall was visiting the United States. Lyall describes their relationship as being “patched together with bits and pieces.”

Big Bird was thrust into the national spotlight on October 3 at the first Presidential Debate between Republican challenger Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. Romney mentioned Big Bird specifically when talking about wanting to cut the funding from Sesame Street. Lyall doesn’t really address the controversy being brought about by Romney. All Lydall had to say about it all was:

“It’s very frustrating having to observe the political games and the lies.”

How do you feel about Big Bird having gay parents?