Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look and an ever-changing culture through the lens of

unchanging truth.

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street.

Not that long ago, at least culturally speaking, someone, known throughout the world for

being quite neighborly, said some things that most likely would get him fired today.

Believe it or not, he said those things on public television.

Yes, I'm talking about Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.

He often performed songs that he wrote to address issues that confused children or caused

him to struggle.

One of those songs was called Everybody's Fancy.

It was featured in numerous episodes of his hit show from 1968 to 1991.

He hoped to help children love and value their bodies and to respect other children too.

Now Rogers was, of course, at the time completely unaware of our modern controversies over

LGBTQ identities, controversies that now dominate the culture.

But in several lines of that song, he expressed truths that are no longer permitted to be

said out loud.

Now, can you imagine someone saying these same things on PBS today?

In fact, just last year at a segment from the Let's Learn TV series, PBS stations across

the country featured a drag queen.

Someone who goes by the stage name Lil Miss Hot Mess.

He was singing lines from his book The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish-Wish-Wish.

It was to the tune of the wheels on the bus go round and round.

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