In the transgender debate, even Bert and Ernie are puppets for the left. Incredibly, “Sesame Street,” the once-beloved kids’ show, is making the best case for defunding PBS yet: inviting drag queen Billy Porter on to teach kids the virtues of gender confusion.

Wearing a “tuxedo dress,” Porter, the star of “Kinky Boots,” has already been tweeting about the appearance. “I was tickled to meet Elmo and the gang,” he posted. Parents, on the other hand, aren’t nearly so thrilled.

More than 55,000 have signed a LifeSite petition calling on the network to drop the episode.

By contributing to this social contagion, ‘Sesame Street’ is forcing children to deal with adult concepts and notions about sexuality which are beyond their level of maturity, and which can leave psychological scars. Many jurisdictions define this kind of behavior as abuse … We are demanding the producers of ‘Sesame Street’ stop this attack on children and their innocence.

When word of the backlash made its way to Porter, he hit back at parents. “Stay out of my bedroom, and you’ll be fine. That is none of your business.”

Leave the bedroom out of our children’s shows, and it won’t be our business. That’s what moms and dads object to.

It wasn’t that long ago that LGBT activists were trying to get the government out of their private lives. Now they want to throw their private lives into our faces, our children’s faces, and every classroom in between.

Personally, I don’t want to know what Porter—or anyone else—does in private. I do, however, care if it’s flaunted in front of my kids.

Like most activists, Porter could care less. “I’m a part of the first generation of gay men, ever, who gets to be out loud and proud in the world,” he said. “My generation is the first. B—— are scared. And they should be.”

For PBS, though, this is all par for its liberal course. Taxpayers have fought for years to stop the government’s broadcasting arm from sexualizing kids on everything from the Muppets to “Sesame Street.”

When Donald Trump became president, one of the first things his budget proposed slashing was the $445 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. His latest version, just released this week, tries again.

Liberals always plead with Republicans to lay off Bert and Ernie, but what they really mean is don’t stop funding the left’s free microphone.

For years, NPR and PBS have taken advantage of the airwaves to spout their radical agenda. And in the end, taxpayers are the ones who’ve been played. But now that PBS has shown that it can’t be trusted, it’s time for Big Bird’s liberal friends to feather their own nest.

Originally published in Tony Perkins’ Washington Update, which is written with the aid of Family Research Council senior writers.