Brazilian Congressman Lashes Out Against Laverne Cox's Barbie Doll & More News Here

Longtime toy and leisure firm Mattel just lately introduced that it’s releasing a special-edition Barbie doll of Laverne Cox, making it the first-ever Barbie doll to honor and be impressed by a trans girl.

But since then, right-wing Brazilian congressman Otoni De Paula has shared deeply transphobic – and wildly inaccurate – remarks lashing out towards the doll and Mattel itself.

De Paula’s transphobic tirade towards Cox’s Barbie doll began final week when Mattel first introduced the brand new toy. 

“It’s a huge absurdity. Mattel, the company behind the making of Barbie dolls, which have been a part of the history of our children, is now releasing a Barbie with a penis,” the congressman stated in his hateful message (translated from its unique Portuguese), which was posted to his Instagram. “No, you didn’t hear it wrong: this Barbie doll will come with a penis. [This doll] will honor what they call a ‘trans woman.’”

He continued:

“This is an imposition of the ideology of gender and gay activism over our children. Attention, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, grandfathers, and grandmothers: do not buy any more Barbie dolls, as she is being used by gay activists to impose the ideology of gender over the minds of our children. Leave our children alone.”

De Paula then submitted a request to carry an open listening to within the House of Representatives to debate this new Barbie doll honoring Cox. As shared by human rights attorney Jeff Nascimento, the congressman’s formal request included the following language:

“I request a public hearing to debate the psychosocial implications over children in regard to the release of a Barbie doll edition containing a male sex organ. For this public hearing, I propose that invitations are sent to the president (or equivalent) of Mattel in Brazil and a member of the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights.”

The congressman also went on to blame Mattel for “defying reality and creating an aggressive circumstance for little girls who want to play with a girl doll.”

On Wednesday, June 1 – the first day of Pride Month – De Paula’s request for an open listening to within the House of Representatives was accepted based mostly on the aforementioned formal request. In response, there have been quite a few reactions to De Paula’s actions and statements from publications and outstanding figures in Brazil.

First and foremost, many have identified that Barbie dolls, Ken dolls, and all different variations of the toy have by no means contained intercourse organs of their designs. De Paula’s core argument that this particular version of the doll would comprise any sort of intercourse organ is solely inaccurate, as that has by no means been the case for any model of the Barbie doll in its decades-long historical past.

Secondly, additionally it is essential to notice that Brazil has been coping with the third-largest inflation on the planet previously 12 months, at 11.3 p.c, behind solely Turkey and Argentina (as reported by G1). The financial measures taken by President Jair Bolsonaro – an ally of De Paula’s – have resulted in extraordinarily excessive costs for fuel, meals, and different client items which might be considerably impacting the Brazilian inhabitants. Subsequently, many Brazilians have known as out De Paula for focusing a lot of his time on making inaccurate – and extremely transphobic and problematic – remarks a few particular version of a Barbie doll whereas the nation is struggling a lot with its economic system and native points.

One final however essential piece of context is that 2022 is a presidential election 12 months in Brazil the place Bolsonaro is making an attempt to win his reelection, very similar to former president Donald Trump did in 2020. De Paula’s outlandish criticism of Cox’s Barbie doll definitely appears like a “culture wars” maneuver from a Bolsonaro ally to rile up Brazilian conservatives and distract them from all of the financial and social points which might be really plaguing Brazil for the previous few years.

The Barbie Tribute Collection Laverne Cox Doll is now out there on the market on Mattel.com.

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