Pose actor Billy Porter has issued a defiant response to his detractors, after the details of his upcoming Sesame Street cameo were revealed.

Having spent the last 12 months wowing us with his performance in the hit ballroom drama, and with his red carpet fashion, it was recently revealed that Billy and his much-loved tuxedo dress would be making an appearance in Sesame Street later this year.

Disappointingly, not everyone was thrilled at the thought of the actor sporting the garment on the show (despite the usual residents of Sesame Street not exactly erring on the subtle and understated side) with a petition calling for the episode to be dropped reaching upwards of 50,000 signatories.

Billy has now had his say on the matter, and we’re pleased to note he does not seem fazed by the controversy.

“If you don’t like it, don’t watch it,” he told Page Six, noting he found it odd that conservative parents would make the bizarre leap between him wearing the dress alongside the beloved characters and exposing their children to “perverted demon sex”.

He continued: “What about me singing with a penguin [on Sesame Street] has anything to do with what I’m doing in my bedroom?

“The really interesting thing for me is that that’s what it’s all about when it comes to LGBTQ people — the first thing everyone wants to talk about is how we having sex.”

Billy added: “Stay out of my bedroom and you will be fine — that is none of your business.”

Already an established Broadway performer, Billy’s star has continued to rise since he began playing Praytell in Pose, a role he’s set to reprise in the show’s upcoming third series.

He’s also now a TV trailblazer, after becoming the first openly gay Black nominee (and, later, winner) in the Best Actor In A TV Drama category at last year’s Emmys.