The company used the program to introduce users to creations of the “LGBTQIA+ community.”
QUICK FACTS:
- The LEGO company has launched a campaign titled “The A-Z of Awesome” that is meant to “raise awareness” and “celebrate inclusivity and embrace self-expression” during so-called “Pride month.”
- The company says it hopes to introduce its fans to stories and creations of members of the “LGBTQIA+ community.”
- The construction toy company also pledged to arrange “Drag Queen Story Time” at its offices and to donate $1 million to LGBTQIA+ charity partners.
- Social media users pushed back, claiming that LEGO is “sexualizing kids,” and told the group to, “stick to building Legos.”
- “Hey @LEGO_Group we don’t want corporations to politicize the toys our kids love to play with. You are losing customers,” wrote a Twitter user.
- “Woke Lego. These corporations just can’t help themselves,” wrote another user.
DETAILS FROM THE LEGO’S PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS:
- “The A-Z of Awesome,” program is aimed at celebrating “our incredible LGBTQIA+ fans” and invites LEGO enthusiasts and employees to “build a colorful alphabet of identities” from LEGO bricks that represent their “true stories.”
- In a video shared by the company, one member of the campaign describes LEGO as offering a “universal” space for users to “express yourself,” with one promoter saying that she was a “black, queer woman who loves LEGO bricks.”
BACKGROUND:
- The toy company led a “Pride Month” campaign last year, releasing its “Everyone is Awesome” set for kids featuring 11 single-colored, non-gendered figurines that form a rainbow.
- LEGO is one of a number of major brands moving toward pro-LGBTQ and transgender-friendly marketing to kids as part of “Pride Month.”
