Tipsheet

Senator Jim Banks Is Pushing the FCC to Flag LGBTQ Content on TV

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  June 01, 2026 12:15 PM

Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) just sent a letter to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, urging him to "empower parents to shield their children from radical gender ideology on TV," by adding "LGBTQ content" to the rating system in similar ways that shows and movies are labeled as having violent or sexual content in a letter exclusively obtained by Townhall.

"Gender ideology has ruined countless young lives," Banks' letter reads.

"The belief that differences between men and women are not 'cause for celebration' but can be erased has become a social contagion. Children have suffered irreversible damage from procedures that permanently mutilate healthy body parts," it continued. "Female athletes have lost medals, safety, and the dignity of private spaces. And the resilience of both young men and young women has been degraded by a coordinated ideological campaign to convince them that there may be something wrong with the way they were created."

Sen. Banks went on to say that the "social contagion" is being spread through television as well as in schools citing a study that found that "40% of Netflix shows rated TV-Y7 or TV-G" contain LGBTQ characters and themes including childhood classics like "Magic School Bus," "Sesame Street," and "My Little Pony." 

"Parents should know if their children are being taught gender ideology, and you can make sure that they do. The government has a profound interest in protecting children from adult content," Banks' letter continued. "That includes content advancing peripheral and experimental ideologies that attempt to unsettle the biological differences between the sexes."

The FCC’s proposal to consider adding LGBTQ content to the TV rating system is a commonsense exercise of its authority. The TV industry’s rating system lets parents know when programming includes violence and other kinds of sexual content. The rating system gives parents the opportunity to block objectionable programming before their children are exposed to it. Clarifying that gender identity deserves the same warning as violence and nudity ensures that conversations about sexuality happen in the home first.

"No child should ever be told that he or she was born in the wrong body. 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," Sen. Banks added. "I applaud your leadership on this issue and encourage you to act on your proposal."

This comes as FCC Chair Brendan Carr has considered implementing the label, but has yet to take any definitive steps in doing so.