http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2006/01/04/1
Group irked at "gender confusion" Barbie PlanetOut Network Wednesday, January 4, 2006 / 12:39 PM A right-wing Christian group warns that Barbie is not just a child's toy, but also a tool for the "transgender movement." The Concerned Women for America, an activist U.S. group that says it "promotes biblical values," made the claims Dec. 30 after seeing a poll on the doll's Web site, which asked users whether they were "a boy," "a girl" or "I don't know." The group says the toy's manufacturer, Mattel, has "overstepped a line," accusing it of joining forces with the "transgender movement." However, the manufacturer said the reason for the neutral answer was more to do with human error than anything sinister. Lauren Bruksch, a spokeswoman for Mattel, told ABC news that the inclusion was an oversight, since on all online polls the company tries to include a neutral answer for younger children. In this case, the correct answer offered by the site should have been "I don't want to say," Bruksch said. However, Concerned Women for America has urged its members to boycott Barbie and other Mattel products in light of what group spokesman Bob Knight called the "very dangerous" issue. The Barbie flap comes three months after the right-wing American Family Association and the Pro-Life Action League threatened to boycott Mattel over its American Girl dolls. Some of the dolls were involved in a promotion for Girls Inc., a nonprofit group that promotes leadership and self-esteem among young girls. Girls Inc. also supports abortion rights and acceptance of lesbians, to the dismay of the right-wing activist groups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:192414 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
