Input on FCC LGBT Television Tag Ends June 22

Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) is urging a TV ratings overhaul to flag LGBT themes in children's shows, saying parents deserve advance notice before viewing.

Juliette Fairley

Published: 6/12/2026, 10:47:36 AM EDT

Input on FCC LGBT Television Tag Ends June 22 — Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 14, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The public has until June 22 to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding potential updates to the TV parental ratings system that could include a new LGBT label.

Among the people who have already commented is a Republican lawmaker who wants parents to be aware in advance that a show may contain LGBT themes.

“The FCC’s proposal to consider adding LGBTQ content to the TV rating system is a common sense exercise of its authority,” Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) wrote in a letter. “I applaud your leadership on this issue and encourage you to act on your proposal.”

The call for commentary was posted in an FCC April 22 Public Notice, which examined whether the TV parental ratings system needs to be updated regarding children's programming disclosures.

Banks told FCC chairman Brendan Carr in the letter that he is concerned about what he sees as the inclusion of gender ideology in children's television programming.

“This message is being smuggled into programming aimed at young audiences,” Banks wrote. “It is being taught in schools, it is on library shelves, and it is present in television shows aimed at children.”

A Concerned Women for America study found that 40 percent of Netflix shows rated TV-Y7 or TV-G contain LGBT content.

TV-Y7 indicates the program is designed for children ages 7 and older, while a TV-G rating means the program is appropriate for a general audience of all ages.

“The rating system gives parents the opportunity to block objectionable programming before their children are exposed to it,” Banks said. “Clarifying that gender identity deserves the same warning as violence and nudity ensures that conversations about sexuality happen in the home first.”

"Magic School Bus" and "Strawberry Shortcake" now include transgender characters, according to Banks, and "Sesame Street," "My Little Pony," "Anne of Green Gables," and "Baby Sitters Club" have LGBT characters or themes.

For example, in June 2021, during a "Family Day" episode, "Sesame Street" introduced an on-screen married gay couple.

“These are major properties,” Banks wrote. “They feature visuals and storylines that appeal to children, and pedigrees that have earned them parents’ trust. Parents should know if their children are being taught gender ideology, and you can make sure that they do.”

The purported danger Banks is trying to prevent is alleged psychological and physical harm to children, which he argues leads to a social contagion where they are convinced something is wrong with how they were born.

Nationally, about 724,000 youth, ages 13 to 17, identify as transgender in the United States, making up roughly 3.3 percent of this age group, according to data from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.

“No child should ever be told that he or she was born in the wrong body,” Banks added. “Parents have a right to ensure that their children don’t get this message from anyone, whether it’s a teacher or the creators of an animated show.”

Currently, the TV industry’s rating system informs parents when programming includes violence and other adult content.

Violence is indicated by the letter V, and S indicates sexual situations.