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New American Girl Doll Has Gay Aunts & People Are Mad for Some Reason
The 2021 Girl of the Year doll and her backstory are angering some of the brand's more conservative customers.
The newest American Girl Doll is inciting boycotts because of an LGBTQ+ storyline, but not because she's gay, or because her parents are gay. No, people are made because she went to visit her two gay aunts.
American Girl's 2021 Girl of the Year is Kira Bailey. In her accompanying book explaining her back story, Kira Down Under, the 10-year-old goes to Australia to visits her two aunts' wildlife sanctuary. According to PinkNews, "the book casually mentions that the two women got married 'after the law was changed to allow it.'"
It's not much of a storyline (it feels like a pretty minuscule baby step in our opinion) but it is the first time a same-sex relationship has been mentioned in an American Girl story, and it was enough to piss off some of the brand's more conservative buyers.
Rebecca Nachman, an American Girl Doll collector in Boston, aired out some of her frustrations with outraged buyers in forums on TikTok.
"American Girl collectors continue to be the worst people in the world," Nachman said. "People lost their goddamn minds, there was so much blatant homophobia in the American Girl Facebook groups I’m in, it was horrific. People were saying, 'children are innocent, they shouldn’t have to read about sex,' as if American Girl is publishing a lesbian porno."
@nicejewishgrrl american girl collectors continue to be ~the worst people in the world~ #americangirl #americangirldoll #americangirltok #lgbt #fyp #drama
American Girl Dolls have been around since 1986 and have a far-reaching, multi-generational fanbase. Unfortunately, not all fans seem to be the most progressive. Some are now calling for a boycott while others are leaving dismal reviews for the doll on Amazon.
"Homosexuality is an inappropriate topic for a children’s book and I am very disappointed that it was woven so blatantly into the storyline for Kira," reads one.
Julie Parks, an American Girl Doll spokesperson, responded to the controversy in a statement for Yahoo Life.
"From the beginning, our 'Girl of the Year' characters have been designed to reflect girls' lives today and the realities of the times," Parks pointed out. "As a brand, we’ve always strived to share the message that there’s no 'magic recipe' for a family and that families can be made up of all kinds of ingredients – and each is unique and lovely."
She continued:
"We know for girls who can directly relate to Kira’s circumstances (i.e. a father who has passed away or a couple in a same-sex marriage), we’re glad to show them that the make-up of one’s family doesn’t matter – it’s still a family and that’s all the counts. It’s a sentiment we love at American Girl."
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
