Editing Teletubbies (section)

===Tinky Winky controversy===
[[File:MardiGrasMarigny1999Falwell.JPG|thumb|A group of people in Tinky Winky costumes at [[Mardi Gras]], 1999.]]
Controversy arose in 1999 concerning Tinky Winky and him carrying a bag that looks much like a woman's [[handbag]]<!--not "purse", which has a different meaning in British English--> (although he was first "[[Outing|outed]]" by the academic and cultural critic Andy Medhurst in a letter from July 1997 to ''[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]'').<ref>{{cite news| title=The Outing of Tinky Winky|url=http://priceonomics.com/the-outing-of-tinky-winky/|access-date=27 May 2016|publisher=Priceonomics}}</ref> He aroused the interest of [[Jerry Falwell]] in 1999 when Falwell alleged that the character was a "[[gay]] role model". Falwell issued an attack in his ''National Liberty Journal'', citing a ''[[Washington Post]]'' "In/out" column which stated that [[lesbian]] comedian [[Ellen DeGeneres]] was "out" as the chief national gay representative, while trendy Tinky Winky was "in". He warned parents that Tinky Winky could be a covert homosexual symbol, because "he is [[purple]], the [[gay pride]] colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle: the [[LGBT symbols|gay pride symbol]]."<ref>{{cite news| title=Falwell Sees Gay in a Teletubby | work=The New York Times| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/11/us/national-news-briefs-falwell-sees-gay-in-a-teletubby.html|date=11 February 1999|access-date=6 November 2010| agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> The BBC made an official response, explaining that "Tinky Winky is simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag."<ref name="Kraidy2007">{{cite book|author=Kraidy|title=Hybridity, OR the Cultural Logic of Globalization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z7-c1qL_VMIC&pg=PA106|date=1 September 2007|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1100-2|pages=106–|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Kenn Viselman of Itsy-Bitsy Entertainment commented, "He's not gay. He's not [[heterosexuality|straight]]. He's just a character in a children's series."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Ms7azOI8UgC|pages=106–107|title=Hybridity, Or the Cultural Logic of Globalization|author=Marwan Kraidy|isbn=978-1-59213-144-0|year=2005|publisher=Temple University Press|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

In May 2007, [[Children's ombudsman#Poland|Polish Ombudsman for Children]] [[Ewa Sowińska]] revisited the matter, and planned to order an investigation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6698753.stm|title=Poland targets 'gay' Teletubbies|author=Adam Easton|work=BBC News|date=28 May 2007}}</ref> "I noticed that he has a woman's handbag, but I didn't realise he's a boy", Sowińska said in a public statement. She asked her office's [[psychologist]]s to look into the allegations. After the research in late 2007, she stated: "The opinion of a leading [[sexologist]], who maintains that this series has no negative effects on a child's psychology, is perfectly credible. As a result, I have decided that it is no longer necessary to seek the opinion of other psychologists."<ref>{{Cite news|date=30 May 2007|title=Polish watchdog backs away from Teletubbies probe|publisher=CBC|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/polish-watchdog-backs-away-from-teletubbies-probe-1.685924|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070601222610/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2007/05/30/teletubby-poland-noprobe.html|archive-date=1 June 2007}}</ref>

Despite the objections, the ''[[Independent on Sunday]]''{{'}}s editors included Tinky Winky as the only fictional character in the 2008 inaugural "[[Happy List]]", alongside 99 real-life adults recognised for making Britain a better and happier place.<ref name="list2009">{{cite news|title=The IoS Happy List 2008 – the 100|newspaper=The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-ios-happy-list-2008--the-100-816335.html|url-status=dead|access-date=24 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422160042/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-ios-happy-list-2008--the-100-816335.html|archive-date=22 April 2009}}</ref>

In response to this controversy, the gay community embraced the Teletubbies, with Tinky Winky leading pride parades<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herscher |first=Elaine |date=1999-02-12 |title=S.F. Gays Like Idea of Parading Tinky Winky / Teletubby gets votes to be grand marshal |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/s-f-gays-like-idea-of-parading-tinky-winky-2947221.php |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref> and being featured on restaurant menus with themed items.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-08 |title=The Wholly Unsurprising Story Behind Tinky Winky's Elevation As A Gay Icon |url=https://junkee.com/gay-icon-tinky-winky/192924 |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=Junkee}}</ref> In 2021, WildBrain, owner of the Teletubbies brand, declared their support for the LGBTQ+ community with the statement "Teletubbies Love Pride." The company released a limited collection of merchandise with proceeds supporting [[GLAAD]]. In a statement, WildBrain said, "The Teletubbies have always embraced their own offbeat quirkiness and sense of style. This Pride Month, we're celebrating that 'love who you are' spirit through our Collection of ready-to-rave fashion that makes Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po very proud."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-20 |title=The Teletubbies embrace Pride, more than two decades after 'gay' Tinky Winky scandal |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/teletubbies-embrace-pride-gay-tinky-winky-scandal-120005359.html |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=Yahoo Life}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=TELETUBBIES CELEBRATE THEIR "LOVE WHO YOU ARE" SPIRIT WITH BIG HUGS AND READY-TO-RAVE FASHION DURING 2021 PRIDE MONTH |url=https://www.wildbrain.com/newsreleases/wildbrains-teletubbies-celebrate-their-love-who-you-are-spirit-with-big-hugs-and-ready-to-rave-fashion-during-2021-pride-month/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=WildBrain |archive-date=30 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430174941/https://www.wildbrain.com/newsreleases/wildbrains-teletubbies-celebrate-their-love-who-you-are-spirit-with-big-hugs-and-ready-to-rave-fashion-during-2021-pride-month/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This was followed up by a 30-piece gender-fluid adult fashion collection commemorating Pride 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WILDBRAIN'S TELETUBBIES CELEBRATE PRIDE 2022 WITH COLORFUL ELLESSE AND GOGUY FASHION COLLABORATION |url=http://www.wildbrain.com/newsreleases/wildbrains-teletubbies-celebrate-pride-2022-with-colorful-ellesse-and-goguy-fashion-collaboration/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=WildBrain|date=27 June 2022 }}</ref>