More than being “the girls with a passion for fashion,” Bratz may just be our next queer icons. On Jun. 23, Bratz posted a photo of Nevra and Roxxi holding hands with the caption “steppin’ out and coming out!”—another win for the gays.
While the famous doll brand did not disclose any further details regarding the sexualities of the two characters, many people praised the brand for tweeting in celebration of Pride month and “bi visibility.”
In the photo, we could see Roxxi wearing a printed shirt that says “girlz like girlz” while we see Nevra wearing a heart-shaped pin with the design of the bi flag. In the second photo, Nevra has a kiss mark on her cheek which looks like it came from Roxxi—the kiss mark is the same shade as her lipstick. While we can’t make our assumptions yet on whether these two are an official couple, they sure do look cute together.
The Bratz dolls rolled out during the early 2000s and were quickly loved by young girls from all over the world. Their first squad consisted of four dolls that had different hair colors and skin tones that a company representative once called “ethnically ambiguous.” The dolls known for their big eyes, luscious lips and heavy makeup grew to be a big hit, but Bratz did receive criticism for perpetuating racial stereotypes and sexualizing young girls. Despite this, some still gave the brand credit for having dolls that didn’t all have blond hair and blue eyes, which was also true for their other media adaptations, like the Bratz movies and TV show.
Fast forward to the present, Bratz continues to welcome diversity and inclusivity. On May 31, Bratz issued a statement calling to sign the Justice for George Floyd petition and said “Bratz has always been and will always be about diversity and inclusivity…we can’t call ourselves inclusive while staying silent about these social injustices right in front of us.” For a brand with a huge platform and influence (remember the #BratzDollChallenge last year?), it’s good to see them work towards more inclusivity and representation. While we’re not sure yet if Nevra and Roxxi are canonically bi or lesbian, it’s safe to say that it’s not completely out of the picture yet.
Photo courtesy of Bratz’s official Twitter account
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