You’re wrong. And normally I wouldn’t waste my time explaining why you’re wrong, but this is important. To me, anyway.
The character was created for the South African (SA) version of Sesame Street. Not the U.S. version. At a time when around 1 in 9 people in SA were HIV positive. Contracted mostly from heterosexual contact.
Lots of kids were orphaned (and HIV positive, contracting it from their moms). The character was created as a way to reach out to these kids who were HIV positive, along with kids who didn’t have it but knew someone who did.
No, I’m right. Making excuses doesn’t change that. Why it -MAY- have been created and how it ended up used on Day 2 and since are different things.
And there are many diseases far more common that orphan kids every single HOUR. I have personal experience with that actually. And they do not get their own characters to manipulate public opinion with.
No child needs a homosexual indoctrination session to help them understand why mommy died.
The character is on US versions too and for very political reasons.