When Hailey Kathler and Heath Affolter won a Tongal contest to design a Pride Month image for Sesame Street in 2020, the world was in the midst of the Covid lockdown.
Their image of the show's colorful characters, holding hands as they represent the Pride flag, struck a global chord when it was posted on the flagship PBS show's social media channels in June 2020 — earning 165,000 Instagram likes, and becoming an iconic symbol of community, inclusivity, and support.
The viral artwork has been used repeatedly by Sesame Street in the years that followed. And this year, the legendary children's brand posted the image again to celebrate Pride Month on their social channels — and the reaction was bigger than ever.
Within three days, nearly 320,000 people liked the image on Instagram, along with 142,000 on Facebook, and another 445,000 on X, where it received more than 26 million views. There were more than 30,000 comments written beneath the posts across the various social media channels.
"It's probably the most-viewed, most liked, piece of art I've ever made," says Hailey. "I get excited every time I see it posted again. I'm really proud of it and the impact that it's had."
Hailey and Heath, from Vancouver, Canada, were professional and romantic partners when they submitted their pitch for the Tongal project five years ago — and they tied the knot last month.
Hailey works full-time in animation, while Heath runs a production company called Foreshadow Films with his three brothers, who have been securing regular work on the Tongal platform for the past seven years, including writing scripts for several LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Batman shorts. The couple came up with the Sesame Street concept together, before Hailey executed the design.
"We're always looking for projects we can do together, and this was a great fit for us," Hailey says. "We both love what Sesame Street stands for, and believe the work they're doing is very important."
And Heath recalls, "We bounced around a few concepts and landed on this one — which was probably our simplest idea. We looked at the colors of the muppets, and realized they were a very diverse bunch and that their colors could represent the Pride flag. The concept combines the characters, the message, and the Pride flag in a very graphic and clear way.
"2020 was a difficult year, so it felt good to be able to support the Pride movement and our LGBTQ friends and family during such a crazy time."
Hailey and Heath at their wedding in May 2025
This year, the image was in the headlines after being posted by Sesame Street on June 1, receiving some negative comments from some Senate and House Republicans, who tried to use its message of inclusivity to support their political campaign to defund nonprofit TV network PBS. And while surprised by this reaction, it has made Heath and Hailey even prouder of their work.
"I've got family who are impacted by the transgender debate, and the fears and panics around that," says Hailey.
"It always sucks when people say hateful things. But the more it's being talked about, the more people see it. If hate is darkness, the only way to defeat darkness is to turn on the light. In the end, love and light wins."
The caption on Sesame Street's 2025 Pride post reads: "On our street, everyone is welcome. Together, let’s build a world where every person and family feels loved and respected for who they are. Happy #PrideMonth!"
The vast majority of the social media comments were supporting Sesame Street and the message of the post and the show, which features muppets designed by the legendary puppeteer Jim Henson, more broadly.
The most liked comment on Instagram, receiving more than 8,000 likes, says: "Put this on a shirt and have the proceeds benefit Sesame Street. I'd buy it up so fast."
"This artwork has its own life," says Heath. "And that's ultimately what you hope for when creating art — that it will live on after you, and people will continue to be affected by it. It doesn't belong to us anymore, it belongs to the public.
"It's very rewarding, and the fact it has to do with a subject that we are allies for makes us even more proud to be part of it.
"Sesame Street has always been about inclusivity — that's why we love it so much. It's about accepting others, and sharing, and community — and that's what this image represents. Those arms are there to support each other, no matter what."
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