This Pride Is for the Dolls! Bratz and Barbie Release New Collections

Pride month is ramping up with the release of new LGBTQ+ dolls from both Bratz and Barbie, hopefully marking a move towards inclusivity for toy lines in the modern age.

Bratz confirmed that characters Nevra and Roxxi were girlfriends back in 2020, sharing the news via social media in a fairly adorable post.

“Happy Pride Month from the whole Bratz Pack!” they wrote at the time.

To follow up on that, they’ve now announced that the two dolls will be a part of their first ever same-sex couple set, which will see them wearing bright, rainbow-colored clothing and holding signs that read “Queer & unapologetic” and “Ugh I can’t even think straight.”

The popular doll company has featured sets in the past, but they have previously been of boyfriend and girlfriend dolls, or same gender dolls marketed as friends.

The announcement comes shortly after another exciting first in the doll world — Barbie’s first transgender doll.

Laverne Cox dished earlier this week on Mattel’s decision to model a Barbie doll after her, making it the first trans doll for the line.

"What excites me most about her being out in the world is that trans young people can see her and maybe get to purchase her and play with her, and know that there's a Barbie made by Mattel, for the first time, in the likeness of a trans person,” she told People.

And in a society doing its best to knock trans youth down, the potential impact of such casual representation from a legacy brand cannot be overstated.

“In this environment where trans kids are being attacked, that this can also be a celebration of transness, and also a space for them to dream, understand and be reminded that trans is beautiful," Cox said. "That there's hope and possibility for them to be themselves."