Lego launches first-ever LGBT+ set to show that ‘everyone is awesome’
Lego is set to release its first LGBT+ themed set with 11 brand new figurines. Most of the figures have no specific gender, but one is a “clear nod to all the fabulous drag queens”. (Lego)
Lego is launching its first LGBT-themed set named Everyone Is Awesome, with one figure a “clear nod” to the “fabulous” drag community.
The LGBT+ Lego set will feature 11 brand new figurines, all but one of which has no specific gender designation as to “express individuality while remaining ambiguous”.
Matthew Ashton, vice president of design at the Lego Group and who created the LGBT+ set, told The Guardian that one figure – a purple one with a stylised wig – is a “clear nod to all the fabulous drag queens out there”.
He told the Guardian that he created the set for his desk at the Lego offices because he wanted something that “reflected me and the LGBTQIA+ community I’m so proud to be a part of”.
We’re super excited to reveal our new set – LEGO Everyone is Awesome! Because we celebrate every LEGO builder ❤️🌈 #LEGO #EveryoneIsAwesome pic.twitter.com/J7KSz3zWik
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) May 20, 2021
Ashton explained other members of Lego’s LGBT+ community would stop by his desk in to say how much they loved the set, and he thought it might be something the Danish toymaker could share with kids.
“Growing up as an LGBTQ+ kid – being told what I should play with, how I should walk, how I should talk, what I should wear – the message I always got was that somehow I was ‘wrong’,” Ashton said.
He said he wished, as a kid, that he had seen an inclusive play set or statement from a toy company that said “everyone is awesome”.
The LGBT+ Lego set also features a rainbow arch. Lego said the colours of the stripes were chosen to reflect the original Pride flag alongside light blue, white and pink stripes to represent the trans community. It also showcases black and brown stripes to honour the diversity of backgrounds within the LGBT+ community.
The LGBT+ Lego set goes on sale on 1 June to mark the start of Pride month. (Lego)
The set is intended to go on sale on 1 June from the Lego website and Lego branded stores to herald the start of Pride month. It’s set to be sold at a recommended retail price of 34,99 EUR/USD. Lego said the 346-piece set is geared towards adult fans and is a display model rather than a play set.
Flynn DeMarco, a contestant on season one of the competition series Lego Masters US, told the Guardian that the set “means a lot” because “often LGBTQ+ people don’t feel seen, especially by corporations”.
“There’s a lot of lip service and not a lot of action,” DeMarco said. “So this feels like a big statement.”
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