A celebrated YouTube teacher popular among toddlers and young children has sparked a backlash among some fans for her celebration of LGBT Pride Month. Ms. Rachel has 10 million YouTube subscribers and hundreds of millions of views on her most popular “Toddler Learning Videos,” which ignited controversy when she wished her fans “happy Pride” on her social media accounts.
“Happy Pride to all of our wonderful families and friends. This month and every month, I celebrate you,” she says in the posted Instagram video. She wore a rainbow-colored shirt. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so glad you’re exactly who you are.”
Her YouTube channel describes her content as “Toddler Learning Videos and Baby Learning Videos.”
Her Instagram video received over 100,000 likes and plenty of comments urging Ms. Rachel -- Rachel Accurso, a preschool teacher -- to stick to academic material. The most popular comments were critical.
“My kids don’t know what pride is. Keep it about the rabbits, numbers, and learning, Ms. Rachel,” the most popular comment said.
“So disappointed that we have to focus on sexual preferences when it is a show FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS,” another popular comment said. “They don’t need this at this age. Indoctrination 100%.”
Ms. Rachel, in the same video, answered her critics.
“To those who are going to comment they can’t watch the show anymore because of the support, no worries and much love your way,” she said. “God bless. I am not chasing fame or views -- I’m standing strong in love.”
She also posted a separate video in which she defended her celebration of Pride Month while quoting Jesus’ words from Matthew 22.
“A religious teacher asked Jesus: What’s the most important commandment? And Jesus says to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself,” Ms. Rachel said in the Instagram video. “ … So yes, everyone belongs -- everyone’s welcome. Everyone is treated with empathy and respect.”
She asserted: “It doesn’t say love every neighbor except.”
Her appeal to the Bible, though, also sparked backlash.
“There’s a difference between loving your neighbor and then promoting their sinful lifestyle,” one person wrote.
“Jesus loves the woman caught in adultery, and bc he loves her, he tells her to go and sin no more,” another person wrote.
Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, too, criticized Ms. Rachel’s message.
“I’m sure Ms Rachel is a genuine person, but she gets love wrong,” Stuckey wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Biblical love rejoices in the truth.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.