LEGO Faces Backlash After Launching LGBTQ Pride Campaign: ‘Let Kids Be Kids’

This picture taken on June 3, 2021 shows Danish toy brick maker Lego's "Everyone is Awesom
THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images
Joshua Klein

Danish toy giant LEGO launched a campaign this month to “raise awareness” and “celebrate inclusivity and embrace self-expression,” as it introduced fans to stories and creations of members of the “LGBTQIA+ community,” while pledging to arrange “Drag Queen Story Time” at its offices and donate $1 million to its LGBTQIA+ charity partners.

The campaign, titled “The A-Z of Awesome,” 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 “represents their true stories.”

In honor of Pride Month, LEGO, one of the largest toy companies in the world and a favorite of children and hobbyists alike, presents “the beautiful, powerful language of the LGBTQIA+ community” through various creations of LGBTQ members and allows fans to “discover” their stories.

In a video shared by the company, one member of the campaign describes LEGO as offering a “universal” and “safe” space to “express yourself.”

“I’m a black, queer woman who loves LEGO bricks,” another person featured in the video states.

Pidgeon Pagonis, another member, describes the project as a “gamechanger,” while presenting a creation that represents “a happy, healthy intersex person.”

“The black and white tiles represent the sex and gender binary,” Pidgeon, who is from Chicago, says, “with one standing out to represent intersex people like me!”

The piece is followed by Jeannie’s “transgender garden,” described as a non-binary “spectrum of beautiful things.”

LEGO also announced its plan to participate in worldwide pride events to host “fun & educational building activities” while declaring its commitment to the community this year will include donating $1 million “to our LGBTQIA+ charity partners.”

The company’s LBGTQIA+ Employee Advocacy Groups are also arranging activities for employees, “such as Drag Queen Story Time” at both its Mexico factory as well as its Connecticut office.

According to Alero Akuya, vice president of brand development at the LEGO Group, the toymaker hopes the campaign “inspires people of all ages and helps build greater awareness and acceptance.”

However, many took to Twitter to ridicule the company’s initiative.

“Why does lego have to have anything at all to do with sexuality?” asked one Twitter user. 

“Why do woke companies insist on driving away half of their customers? No more Legos for my grand babies and future grand-babies,” wrote another.

“You have gone backwards. Let kids be kids,” another user wrote.

“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.

“Stop sexualising kids!!!” a user wrote.

“I am no longer a lego fan, i have lost ALL of my respect for you!” wrote another Twitter user.

“Just stick to building Legos,” another wrote.

“Woke Lego. These corporations just can’t help themselves,” wrote one user.

“Stop virtue signaling,” wrote another.

“Stay away from my kids,” wrote yet another Twitter user.

The pro-LGBTQ campaign is part of a broader move among major companies and brands to market pro-LGBTQ and transgender propaganda to children as they pander to the LGBTQ community during “Pride Month.”

Last year, in celebration of Pride Month, the LEGO toy company released its rainbow “Everyone is Awesome” set for kids which features 11 single-colored, non-gendered figurines that form a rainbow with black and brown stripes as well as the “transgender flag colors.”

The Denmark-based toymaker also announced it would endeavor to remove “harmful” gender stereotypes from its line because boys are reluctant to play with toys marketed to girls.

In September, LEGO introduced a new set for kids, inspired by the Netflix reality show Queer Eye — a series featuring five gay men who give straight men makeovers.

LEGO has also embraced other left-progressive movements in recent years. 

In 2020, during the Black Lives Matter riots, LEGO asked retailers to pull promotional materials for some play figures in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police — including all police figures, firefighters, and accessories, as well as the White House.

At the time, the toymaker also asked affiliates to refrain from posting on social media during #BlackOutTuesday and pledged $4 million to black and anti-racist charities.

Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.

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