Gay Rights, Religious Groups in Uproar Over New “L’il Faggots” Toy Line
-Pawtucket, Rhode Island (Rueters)
Toymaking giant Harsbro, perhaps best known as the maker of classic games such as Monapoly, has come under fire from gay rights activists after announcing the upcoming release of a new toy line aimed at gay children. The toy line, named “L’il Faggots”, is believed to be the first foray by any major toymaker into the gay youth demographic. The name of the toy line, however, has many crying “foul”.
“Faggot” is considered by most members of the gay community to be a derogatory slur, and Harsbro’s choice to include the term “faggot” in a children’s toy line has drawn harsh rebukes. The New York Queen’s Alliance, a gay rights activist group, is spearheading the effort to prevent Harsbro from releasing “L’il Faggots” next month.
Said Chad-Troy Farvish, spokesman for the New York Queen’s Alliance, “I mean, like, I understand that they’re trying to, like, reach gay youths, but, like, they didn’t have to, like, use the f-word. That’s just, like, totally out of line.”
Farvish spoke with a pronounced lisp and wore a tight, pink shirt reading “Sexy Bitch”.
Adding to the controversy are the individual toys that have been unveiled thus far. G.I. Joe-style action figures dressed in thongs, studded leather vests, and high-heeled boots are being targeted for their stereotypical depiction of gays. A doll depicting a hirsute, obese man wearing a diaper and named Daddy Bear Bruno has been criticized as incorrectly conflating the “bear” gay subculture and unrelated diaper-fetishism.
Conservative and religious groups, spearheaded by Families Against Gays (FAG) and several representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, are targeting the toys for different reasons altogether. According to Monsignor Gregory O’Brien, “These toys have no place in the marketplace. Marketing toys like these to innocent children tempts them to the Devil’s side. I cannot stress enough that releasing these toys will represent a huge moral lapse on our society’s part and will represent yet another drop in the standards of our mores.”
In the meantime, Farvish and the New York Queens are organizing a massive boycott of Harsbro products, enlisting the help of organizations such as Queer Nation. They are recruiting the aid of lawyers from the ACLU to determine which possible legal avenues may be taken to block the release of the “L’il Faggots” toy line.
“Like, basically, we’re just hoping to, like, raise the visibility of this issue. I mean, like, enough is enough, right?” continued Farvish. “Harsbro’s totally got to be stopped. And we’re going to make sure that, like, people know that just because we’re gay, we can’t, like, be insulted like this.”
Added Farvish, with one hand perched on his hip and the other hanging limp in midair, “And, like, just because I wear a totally hot fishnet thong, that doesn’t mean all of us do.”