Bert & Ernie: Exploring Queer Representation with Miami’s Favorite Cosplayers

This Halloween, we’re diving into a theme that has intrigued audiences for decades: the relationship between Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie. More than a simple childhood memory, Bert and Ernie represent companionship, humor, and the kind of love that resonates with people of all backgrounds. For the LGBTQ+ community, they also symbolize a subtle yet enduring representation of queer partnership. This year, Miami-based cosplayers Edwin and Orestes brought Bert and Ernie to life in a way that goes beyond mere costumes—celebrating queer history, creativity, and love in a time that needs it most.

Edwin and Orestes shared their thoughts on the project: “We approached this project in mind with the queer history and implied representation that Bert and Ernie provided as characters in the 70s, during and after the gay liberation movement and before the AIDS crisis. It wasn’t until 2018 that the creators confirmed that the puppets don’t have sexuality, but they didn’t deny it either.”

Their take on Bert and Ernie embodies more than just fandom; it’s a re-imagination of what it might have been like for these two characters to be real people, living in New York City in the 1970s. “Our decision to make Bert and Ernie look like real people started from a practical place: how do you make costumes from puppets as inspiration? It transformed into one of ‘what would it look like if Bert and Ernie were based on two real people living together in the 70s in NYC?’ Add a dash of absurdism and humor as we like to do, and you have this year’s Halloween piece,” Edwin said.

Edwin and Orestes’ attention to detail even included props that enhance the narrative. Edwin carried a copy of Frog and Toad, a series by children’s author Arnold Lobel, who was known for weaving the daily intricacies of same-sex companionship into his stories. This nod to Lobel’s work is an intentional celebration of the subtle ways queer themes have always found their way into children’s literature, often unnoticed but deeply impactful.

As queer cosplayers, Edwin and Orestes bring a fresh layer to Bert and Ernie’s iconic relationship, framing it as more than just characters on a screen but as two people with lives, friendships, and experiences in a complex world. They shared their perspective on why this matters: “With all this pushback happening to the LGBTQIA2+ community through book bans, politics, and censorship, it’s our way of exploring representation in something familiar, with a twist. We grew up on public broadcasting, and that made a huge impact on what we’re passionate about as adults, so why not revisit something that shaped us through the lens of what it’s like to live together as two men?”

The love, humor, and respect between Bert and Ernie embody a relationship everyone can learn from—one that champions acceptance and celebrates diversity, especially now when LGBTQ+ representation is under threat. Through their cosplay, Edwin and Orestes remind us that representation can take on many forms. Sometimes, it’s in two characters who show up for each other day after day, and sometimes, it’s in those who bring those characters to life in ways that keep these conversations alive.

So, as you carve your pumpkins and don your costumes this Halloween, take a moment to appreciate the real magic that lies in the stories we revisit. Edwin and Orestes have shown us that in today’s world, it’s about taking those old stories, reinterpreting them with love, and giving them new life for a new generation.

Happy Halloween from Safe Schools—where every love story deserves a place in the spotlight! 🎃

By: Rev. Harold Marrero
Chief Operating Officer

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