Netflix, the world’s largest streaming platform, has landed in the center of a heated political and cultural controversy over its children’s programming, with conservative lawmakers and advocacy groups raising alarm about what they describe as the proliferation of “demonic” and “politically activist” transgender content aimed at young viewers. The debate has erupted just as Netflix prepares to break ground on a $1 billion production studio in New Jersey, a project that has drawn its own scrutiny over the use of public tax incentives.
On October 16, 2025, Tennessee Republican Congressman Tim Burchett made headlines by calling for Netflix executives to appear before Congress and answer for the “massive amounts of ‘demonic’ transgender content” in its children’s lineup. Burchett, joined by House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer of Kentucky, sent a formal letter summoning Netflix leaders to a committee hearing, citing concerns about the cartoon series Dead End: Paranormal Park. The show, which targeted children under 13, features a transgender main character—a detail that Burchett said prompted his demand for accountability.
“We need to get them for the committee and ask them what their intentions are with this and if, in fact, they realize what the heck is going on,” Burchett told Fox News. He didn’t mince words about the seriousness of the issue as he sees it: “If they don’t come in voluntarily, we ought to subpoena them. Because this is a serious issue. It affects the mental health of our young people, the moral degradation of our society.”
Burchett’s concerns extend beyond a single show. He identified several other Netflix children’s series featuring transgender or LGBTQ+ characters, including Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City, The Baby-Sitters Club, Monster High, and Transformers: Earthspark. In his view, these programs are “pushing the radical gay agenda” and are inappropriate for young audiences. “I would hope that Congress could rein these corporate giants in to the fact that they do have to have some moral standards. Spreading this demonic filth to our children is definitely wrong,” Burchett said, adding, “The transgender issue is a mental health issue, is what it is. I don’t think we should be celebrating or promoting it—it is very harmful to these folks.”
Burchett’s language—describing the shows as “recruiting or grooming young children”—has sparked backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue that representation of diverse identities can be affirming and supportive for young viewers struggling with questions of identity. Still, Burchett insists on the need for stronger parental controls and moral guidelines, suggesting that current regulations have not kept pace with the rapid evolution of streaming services. “The shows that they are targeting for children, for instance, that are showing a little boy becoming a girl, which is biologically impossible…to me, they’re just recruiting or grooming young children.”
He acknowledged that Netflix, as a private company, has First Amendment rights to air its programming, but maintained there is a “fine line” between free expression and the need to “protect people from harming children.” Burchett pointed to the Federal Communications Commission’s existing authority over “communications corporations,” but conceded that the law has not fully adapted to the realities of digital streaming. “We’re going to have to address all those matters,” he said.
The controversy intensified in September when Hamish Steele, the creator of Dead End: Paranormal Park, took to social media to criticize conservative activist Charlie Kirk after Kirk’s murder. Steele’s expletive-laden post, in which he called Kirk a “Nazi,” reignited debate over the show’s themes and its creator’s political stance. Steele, for his part, has described the series as being about “terrifying demons, vengeful ghosts and mysterious magic,” but also about “coming of age in a world that wasn’t made for you. It’s a drama about found family, identity and making mistakes.” Reflecting on the show’s creation, Steele said, “I’ve always dreamed of making the show I needed as a lonely, horror-obsessed closeted gay kid and thanks to Netflix and our ridiculously talented, diverse and representative writers room and crew, we have shot way past my dreams and into wildest fantasy territory!” Despite its cult following, the series was canceled after two seasons.
Daniel Cameron, former Kentucky Attorney General and now CEO of the 1792 Exchange, has added fuel to the debate by criticizing Netflix’s broader corporate practices. The 1792 Exchange, a non-profit that rates companies based on their “divisive policies, actions and cancellation of business relationships based on viewpoints or beliefs,” has assigned Netflix a “medium risk” rating. Cameron told Fox News Digital, “Netflix has a medium risk rating because at various points they have promoted DEI, ESG and have been steeped in some political activism.”
Cameron’s concerns are not limited to programming content. He has pointed to Netflix’s recent decision to build a $1 billion, state-of-the-art production facility on a former U.S. Army base in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey—a project that came with a $387 million tax credit from the state. “If New Jersey is giving tax incentives, or subsidies, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars; those are dollars that aren’t going to help families, those are going to be tax breaks for Netflix. I think parents and families would want to know what the candidates for governor on the Republican and Democratic side think about that and what they will do ultimately to address it,” Cameron said. He continued, “Unfortunately, they’ve used taxpayer dollars basically to … promote ideology that doesn’t necessarily mesh with, again, the majority of citizens that just don’t want their kids being exposed to that sort of content at an early age.”
Cameron’s remarks come amid renewed calls to “cancel” Netflix on social media, spurred by a viral clip from Dead End: Paranormal Park showing a character coming out as trans. Billionaire Elon Musk and other conservative influencers have amplified these calls, while critics have also scrutinized other Netflix children’s shows for including transgender drag queens, nonbinary characters, and dialogue about preferred pronouns.
Asked about the broader implications, Cameron said, “It’s important for the candidates who are running for governor in New Jersey to talk about issues that find themselves at the kitchen table. If my wife and I lived in New Jersey, we would be talking about, ‘Hey, what do we need to do to ensure, you know, our kids aren’t exposed to this? What’s our leadership think about this?’”
Fox News Digital reached out to New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli for comment on the tax incentives and programming controversy, but had not received responses at the time of publication. Netflix, too, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As Netflix forges ahead with its New Jersey expansion and maintains its diverse programming slate, the streaming giant finds itself at the crossroads of America’s culture wars, with its role in shaping young minds—and the use of public funds to support its growth—under intense scrutiny from all sides.
