Arts & Entertainment
Billy Porter responds to conservative backlash over upcoming ‘Sesame Street’ appearance
Billy Porter, whose gender-defiant fashion choices continue to trigger conservatives every time he makes a public appearance, has found himself at the center of yet another controversy – and predictably, it springs from the knee-jerk reaction of a Republican politician to news that the Tony- and Emmy-winning “Pose” star made a stop on “Sesame Street.”
The latest storm-in-a-homophobic-teacup started when the iconic children’s program shared on-set photos of Porter to social media on January 30. The photos, taken while the out (and outspoken) star was filming an appearance on an upcoming episode of the show, reveal him dressed in the velvet tuxedo gown designed for him by Christian Siriano – a look that became instantly iconic when he first debuted it at the 2019 Oscars.
The photos prompted an immediate backlash from Arkansas state senator Jason Rapert, who took to Facebook for an outraged post.
“Do you approve of your taxpayer dollars being used to promote the radical LGBTQ agenda?”, the 47-year-old Republican wrote, going on in the comments to threaten that he could sponsor a bill to cut state funding for PBS, which airs “Sesame Street.” The show, which is in its 51st season, is now by HBO, but is still aired nationwide by affiliates of the public television network.
“Taxpayer funds should not be used to try and manipulate young children with the political agenda and worldview of LGBTQ activism,” wrote Rapert, in a follow-up post. “Political interest groups can pay for their own messaging and do as they please, but the hardworking taxpayers of America DO NOT have to pay the bills for your efforts. I object to PBS and [local PBS affiliate] AETN rebroadcasting any LGBTQ activist programming using public funds. Not the right time or the right place.”
Shortly thereafter, a petition was launched by the pro-life site LifePetitions calling for the removal of Porter’s appearance from the upcoming show, accusing “Sesame Street” of trying “to sexualize children using drag queens” and demanding that the 10-time Emmy-winning series, “Let children be children, and stop trying to force this corrupting and dangerous influence on the youth of America.”
Porter was having none of it. Speaking to Page Six at an anniversary party for Saks’ L’Avenue restaurant in New York, the LGBTQ superstar snapped back at the critics, “If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.”
He went on to question why people would make a mental association between his dress and “perverted demon sex,” pondering, “Like, what about me singing with a penguin [on the show] has anything to do with what I’m doing in my bedroom?”
“The really interesting thing for me,” the history-making actor, singer, and activist added, “is that that’s what it’s all about when it comes to LGBTQ people — the first thing everyone wants to talk about is how we having sex.
“Stay out of my bedroom and you will be fine — that is none of your business.”
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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