Bert & Ernie Denied Relationship

Their has been an awesome online petition asking the Sesame Street producers to let blasphemous muppets Bert and Ernie marry as a way to teach tolerance to young children. It has been denied, big surprise. Sesame has issued a statement on the 'nature' of Bert and Ernie’s relationship:

Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.