American Girl is a toy brand that’s dominated the world of dolls since its founding in 1986. The company prides itself on telling the stories of girls from all eras and walks of life, but thus far, their dolls have been curiously devoid of diversity when it comes to sexuality. That is until now. American Girl’s new doll, an animal lover named Kira, is their first girl with an LGBTQ+ backstory, and it’s about time!
- Kira is American Girl’s Doll of the Year for 2021. The blonde-haired, brown-eyed Kira was born in Michigan and really loves animals, which is why her story aims to teach kids about conservation, the environment, and coping with health problems in the family.
- Her story is not only instructive, it’s fun too! Kira’s story focuses on her journey to Australia with her mom, where she plans to work at an animal sanctuary owned by her lesbian aunts, Mamie and Lynette. Mamie is the veterinarian at the sanctuary but ends up falling ill, leaving Kira worried and unsure how to cope. Thankfully, she has a strong support system there to help her through the tough times.
- People are loving American Girl’s LGBTQ+ inclusion. As one reviewer wrote: “As someone who swore that I would never buy an AG doll for my niece, I changed my mind. It’s great to see that I can give my niece a gift that reflects her world. Thank you AG!! Thank you, from all the lesbian aunts that love their nieces.” Another praised the company for using Kira’s story as a “learning experience” for kids who don’t have LGBTQ+ family members themselves but want to foster acceptance and understanding.
- This is a wonderful move on American Girl’s part. The company has always told the stories of girls from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, but the world is a varied place and there are plenty of girls with LGBTQ+ family members or who might be LGBTQ+ themselves. As we all know, representation is important, and having stories like these included and told is such a wonderful thing.