Mattel Inc. has launched a new line of gender-fluid dolls—and many Christians are concerned these toys will harm young children.
The Creatable World dolls come with short hair but can easily transform with a set of masculine and feminine clothes and accessories as well as a long wig. The company that produces Barbie now boasts of “A doll line designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in,” according to Time.
“Toys are a reflection of culture and as the world continues to celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we felt it was time to create a doll line free of labels,” says Kim Culmone, senior vice president of Mattel Fashion Doll Design, in a statement. “Through research, we heard that kids don’t want their toys dictated by gender norms. This line allows all kids to express themselves freely which is why it resonates so strongly with them. We’re hopeful Creatable World will encourage people to think more broadly about how all kids can benefit from doll play.”
OneMillionMoms Director Monica Cole is concerned that the dolls will only confused impressionable young children.
“Mattel is confusing our innocent children by attempting to blur what we have always known as very definitive gender lines,” she says. “Why can’t the toy manufacturer just let kids be kids instead of glamorizing transgender, non-binary and gender-fluid lifestyles? The gender-neutral dolls are the most ridiculous toys One Million Moms has seen in a while.”
Cultural commentator Michael Brown says this is simply another way the left is using children as pawns in the culture wars.
“This is cultural madness,” he says. “Boys are different than girls and girls are different than boys, just as mommies are not daddies and daddies are not mommies. For Mattel to obscure this with gender-neutral roles is to play into the hands of radical LGBT activists, who view the ‘gender binary’ as the enemy. The end goal is the abolition of gender distinctions, which is the ultimate rebellion against God creating us male and female. Send Mattel a message that you’ll not be buying any of their products until they stop making our kids and grandkids pawns in the culture wars.”
Mattel says it worked with a team of “experts, parents, physicians and most importantly, kids” to create this line of dolls. Each set comes with six different doll kits in various skin tones and has a suggested retail price of $30. The company says the dolls will be sold at Amazon, Target and Walmart.
But several Christian experts told the Baptist Press that they think the toy line will flop. Focus on the Family’s Glenn Stanton says the toys will be on the discount table long after Christmas: “These are dolls created by adults to make them feel good about their radical gender theories. … Parents are not clamoring for this. Kids are not clamoring for this.”
This isn’t the first time companies have tried to eliminate gender labels. In 2015, Target removed gender-based labels in several of their departments after guests complained. The company said that even though gender signs help make the shopping experience easier in clothing departments, it didn’t make sense to keep them in sections like toys and home entertainment. {eoa}
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