OK Gov shuts down PBS station due to drag queens and “indoctrination.”

Oklahoma Governor Pulls Funding for PBS Station Over LGBTQ Content

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced that the state’s sole PBS television station, OETA-TV, will no longer receive funding due to what he calls “indoctrination and over-sexualization” of children through content that promotes drag queens and the LGBTQ agenda. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Stitt stated that taxpayers should not have to fund a station with a far-left bias. He recently moved to block funding for the station through 2026, and unless the state legislature overrides his veto, the network will cease operations this year.

Problematic Programming

Stitt’s office pointed to several examples of programming that he finds problematic, including a segment of “Let’s Learn” featuring a drag queen known as Lil Miss Hot Mess reading a purported children’s book called “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish.” Another show aired by the station, “Clifford The Big Red Dog,” features lesbian parents, a show called “Work It Out Wombat” features a gay character, and “Odd Squad” depicted a same-sex wedding. Stitt also noted OETA recently aired a segment on its “Newshour” program that voiced support for chemical treatments including puberty blockers for children who identify as transgender.

Outdated System

“OETA, to us, is an outdated system,” Stitt said. “You know, the big, big question is why are we spending taxpayer dollars to prop up or compete with the private sector and run television stations?” Stitt’s office believes that if the programming was worthwhile, the private sector would make it available.

Teach Them to Read and Count

“When you think about educating kids, let’s teach them to read and their numbers and counting and letters and those kind of things,” he said. “I mean, some of the programming that we’re seeing… it just doesn’t need to be on public television.” Stitt recently signed into law a ban on all chemical and surgical transgender procedures on children, joining 15 states which have enacted similar laws.