It’s become increasingly common during Pride month for companies to show their support of the LGBTQ+ community. Some do so gracefully, and others, well, not so much. And then some moments are just so out there they’re iconic. In 2021, that prize may have to go IKEA’s bisexual love seat, which lit up social media when it was unveiled on June 29.
The furniture in question is part of IKEAs line of 10 “Loveseats” created by LGBTQ+ designers and is inspired by the various Pride flags. “There's more to Pride than a rainbow,” IKEA said, referring to the broad range of flags being featured in the campaign, including, of course, the bisexual pride flag, designed by Charlotte Carbone.
The love seat is covered in (seemingly) reaching and overlapping hands in the colors of the pink, purple, and blue hues of the flag. The back cushions feature the phrase, “When you change 'or' to 'and,' nobody believes you,” which some interpreted as being biphobic. Others just really couldn't get over the hands. So. Many. Hands.
\u201c@hologramvin bisexual couch has literal ARM RESTS\u201d— vin; androgyne (@vin; androgyne) 1624976918
\u201cthere are literal forearms clawing their way out of the couch\u201d— alex (@alex) 1624983404
\u201cDressing up as the NOBODY BELIEVES YOU bisexual couch for Halloween\u201d— TikTok Sex House (@TikTok Sex House) 1624981350
\u201cNOBODY BELIEVES YOU might not even be in the top 5 most terrifying things about the bisexual love seat\u201d— TikTok Sex House (@TikTok Sex House) 1624981196
Since the loveseat went viral, Brian Lanigan, a spoken word poet whose work inspired the concept for the sofa, spoke out on Twitter to explain its backstory. “The ‘line when you change ‘or’ to ‘and,’ nobody believes you' is from a poem I wrote in high school about bisexual erasure I experienced from an ex-partner and others," he wrote. "I’m a spoken word poet and the hands are meant to represent the audience reaction, especially those of other bisexual folks who would approach me after performances and share their story with me.”
