The Denmark-based toy company LEGO is facing criticism after promoting Pride-themed content on social media and its website. Parents accused the company of introducing LGBT themes to a brand primarily marketed to children.
Although LEGO produces some building sets for adults, the company markets most of its products to children. Many young consumers follow the brand on social media.
In a recent Instagram post, LEGO celebrated Pride Month with the caption, “Pride moments built, brick by brick. Swipe to see more of our LEGO colleagues’ stories.”
The accompanying slideshow featured LEGO minifigures recounting coming-out experiences, including one character attending a Pride parade and another depicting a male character proposing to his boyfriend.
Parents and social media users criticized the post, with several calling for a boycott of the company.
“LEGO is now openly pushing Pride parades, gay marriage, and rainbow ideology straight at children,” one commenter wrote on X.
“This isn’t ‘inclusion.’ It’s sexualizing childhood and grooming the next generation with adult themes.”
The commenter added, “Parents are waking up. Boycott time. Companies that target kids with this stuff deserve to lose customers… keep this garbage away from our children.”
In 2021, LEGO released a set titled “Everyone Is Awesome,” featuring 11 faceless minifigures displayed in the colors of the Progress Pride flag. The company labeled the set for ages 18 and older.
According to the information provided, the set’s designer, Matthew Ashton, said it was created with children in mind and reflected his own experience of coming out as a teenager.
“Children are our role models and they welcome everyone, no matter their background. Something we should all be aspiring to,” Ashton said.
“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.’ So, in a way, this set is not just for the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s for all of the allies — parents, siblings, friends, schoolmates, colleagues, etc. — out there as well.”
The company also promoted a Pride Month activity on its official website on June 1.
“It’s time to paint the town red, orange, yellow, green… basically a whole rainbow of color! That’s right, it’s Pride Month, and we’re celebrating the best way we know how: with LEGO® bricks!” the activity description states.
The page encouraged participants to create Pride-themed LEGO builds, stating, “This year, we want you to celebrate what makes you—and everyone you love—quite frankly, AWESOME.”