Britain’s Science Museum has argued that the way children’s Lego bricks fit together reinforces gender and sexuality stereotypes.
The Science Museum in the United Kingdom has recently made headlines for its self-guided tour that tells “stories of queer communities, experiences, and identities.” This “Seeing Things Queerly” tour at the museum claims that Legos push a “heteronormative” agenda.
“Like other connectors and fasteners, Lego bricks are often described in a gendered way,” the online blog for the self-guided tour says. “The top of the brick with sticking out pins is male, the bottom of the brick with holes to receive the pins is female, and the process of the two sides being put together is called mating.”
The tour guide blog adds further, “This is an example of applying heteronormative language to topics unrelated to gender, sex and reproduction. It illustrates how heteronormativity (the idea that heterosexuality and the male/female gender binary are the norm and everything that falls outside is unusual) shapes the way we speak about science, technology, and the world in general.”
Close-up of a large number of LEGO bricks, Pleasanton, California, August 18, 2024. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
The Telegraph, which resurfaced this tour, which appears to have begun in 2022, on Thursday, reported, “No source is provided for the alleged view that people consider Lego to be gendered, or that sticking bricks together is called ‘mating.’”
Fiona McAnena, the director of advocacy at Sex Matters, scorched the display as “bonkers.”
“The Science Museum’s self-guided trail on all things ‘queer’ is completely bonkers, and includes some absurd claims. The idea that Lego is ‘heteronormative’ because the blocks are described as ‘male’ and ‘female’ is ridiculous,” she told The Telegraph. “Children who play with Lego don’t need to be told that some people say fitting Lego blocks together is ‘mating.’ People expect to be informed, educated and inspired when visiting the Science Museum, not to have dubious claims rooted in gender ideology forced on them.”
Lego also sells an LGBTQIA+ playset called “Everyone is Awesome” with Lego minifigures standing in front of a rainbow including the various colors of the LGBTQIA+ flag.
Lego store (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
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Matthew Ashton, the Vice President of Design at the LEGO Group, designed it himself, and explained that he did so with drag queens, the Black community, and transgender people in mind.
“It sends a powerful message, but it is also fun and quirky and doesn’t take itself too seriously,” he said. “We’ve made sure to include black and brown colors to represent the broad diversity of everyone within the LGBTQIA+ community. We’ve also added in the pale blue, white and pink to support and embrace the trans community as well. I purposely put the purple drag queen in as a clear nod to the fabulous side of the LGBTQIA+ community. I hope it’s a joy to build and a joy to look at, and hopefully it will bring a lot of joy to people’s lives.”
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Lego has also waded into gender politics before. In 2021, the company released a statement expressing concern that girls “remain held back by society’s ingrained gender stereotypes as they grow older,” and has a lengthy entry on its website on “How eliminating gender bias can build confidence and creativity.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to both the museum and the Lego company for comment and did not receive an immediate reply.
