For those who have not heard, the company, Lego, has just made significant history within the LGBTQ+ community. On Septmeber 14th, they announced that they will be collabing with the cast of the hit television show, Queer Eye. For anyone who has not had the chance to watch the show, according to Insider, it “stars Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Karamo Brown, and Bobby Berk, who have taken the world by storm, teaching viewers how to cuff their sleeves, apply green concealer, and learn to love and accept yourself for who you are.” According to The Guardian, the five individuals offer guests a “whole-life makeover, from style, to interiors, grooming and cooking.” However, the show goes far beyond a simple outside makeover, but rather helps to instill confidence and self-love in those who come on the show, to create their best life. The five individuals who host the show, have been called “heroes,” in the fact that they help individuals, no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender, find love within themselves.
The show has made a tremendous impact on all of its guests, as well as its viewers. This is as to why Lego has partnered with Queer Eye to create legos of the five cast members. According to NBC News, the set will be of “their original Atlanta loft set design.” The set will be “launched October 1st, with 974 pieces, and include mini-figure versions of Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Antoni Porowski, and the show’s loveable dog, Bruely.” In the past year, Lego has become increasingly inclusive with it’s representation of the LGBTQ+ community. According to NBC News, Lego “kicked off Pride Month with a rainbow set, called “Everyone Is Awesome,” which is the first time in the company’s 72-year history that it released an official LGBTQ Pride set.” This burst in LGBTQ+ representation in Lego has made waves in the fact that historically, toys have pushed a heteronormative agenda, and have not been inclusive of individuals who identify with this community.
As legos are a common toy for children, with the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, this will help instill in them that identifying as heterosexual should not be the “norm,” but rather, that it is normal and okay for individuals to identify with a sexuality that differs from being straight. With the heteronormative agenda being pushed on to children from a very young age, many grow up to believe that they can only strictly identify as being straight. This new launch with lego will help erase this norm by showing a cast that does not fit it, but rather, celebrate who they are, as well as guests on the show, no matter what their sexual orientation is. This launch with Lego will also be impactful for adults, who for many, have not seen much LGBTQ+ representation in any figurine, much less legos. For those that are fans of the show, make sure to check out Lego.com or a local store on October 1st to snag this new set!
https://www.insider.com/queer-eye-fun-facts-2018-9#tan-france-said-he-almost-quit-the-show-10
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-pop-culture/queer-eye-lego-collab-didnt-know-needed-rcna2026