On Thursday, the LEGO Group announced that its new LGBTQIA+ set “goes on sale on June 1, to mark the start of Pride Month.”
“Inspired by the iconic rainbow flag,” the 346-piece set “features 11 monochrome minifigures each with its own individual hairstyle and rainbow colour” LEGO says in an announcement touting the new product.
“I wanted to create a model that symbolises inclusivity and celebrates everyone, no matter how they identify or who they love,” set designer and Vice President of Design Matthew Ashton said, adding that the set is also a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community within the LEGO Group and amongst the brand’s adult fans.
Each of the LEGO characters was designed to be gender-neutral, so it’s up to the builder to assign the gender of every character, Ashton says in LEGO’s promo video:
“When we created the lineup of characters, we tried not to necessarily gender the characters, so it’s up to the builder exactly what gender they see each of the characters.”
In an article posted on the company’s website, Ashton explains that he was inspired to create the “Everyone Is Awesome” LEGO set because of his experience growing up as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and because “Children are our role models”:
“Being LGBTQIA+ myself, I knew I needed to step up to the plate and make a real statement about love and inclusivity, and generally spread some LEGO® love to everybody who needs it. Children are our role models and they welcome everyone, no matter their background. Something we should all be aspiring to.
…
“If I had been given this set by somebody at that point in my life, it would have been such a relief to know that somebody had my back. To know that I had somebody there to say ‘I love you, I believe in you. I’ll always be here for you.‘”
LEGO partners with a host of LGBTQIA+ organizations, the company’s website states:
“The LEGO Group is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. It partners with Workplace Pride, Stonewall and Open for Business to help shape strategies to support employees who identify as LGBTQIA+ and allies across the company. It also supports UK-based charity, Diversity Role Models which works to educate children about inclusivity and empathy in order to build supportive and inclusive future generations.”