September 11, 2013
Toys 'R' Us Stops Labeling 'Boys' And 'Girls' Toys
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Toys retailer giant Toys "R" Us will stop labeling its products for boys and girls after mounting pressure from consumers.
According to Think Progress, the United Kingdom branch of the company will start to use gender-neutral terms and images in its toys Christmas catalogue. The move comes in response to an online petition launched by the group Let Toys Be Toys asking the company to remove gender stereotypes from its products.
A similar Change.org petition was made for the U.S. stores, reaching over 3,000 signatures to follow on the UK's steps, but the company's website still labels toys for boys and girls, and the company hasn't replied back to requests for comment.
Last year, Top Toy, one of the largest toy chains in Sweden, published a catalogue showing girls holding toy machine guns and boys playing with dolls, according to RT.com.
The move was an effort to cash in on Sweden's new gender-neutral language revolution.
RT reported that since 2008, the country's government has spent millions promoting gender equality in schools. The Swedish are so hardcore about it that some government officials have proposed a new single gender-neutral pronoun - "hen" - to replace "he" and "she" in order to minimize gender stereotyping.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
