Column: LEGO’s push for diversity can’t forget pregnant people

As the LEGO Group announces its push for more diversity in its characters, is this a good opportunity for more minifigure body types to be introduced?

The LEGO Friends relaunch showed a marked push from the LEGO Group to include a wider range of people, including a number of different skin tones, disabilities, and personalities. However, this diversity doesn’t translate to the regular minifigures (apart from through the hairpieces).

Although it’s rare, the LEGO Group isn’t above changing the classic minifigure shape. That’s already been seen in the two LEGO Avatar waves that feature a number of longer-limbed Na’vi minifigures. Now that the second trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water has debuted, there might be even more scope for changes to be introduced to minifigure bodies.

Neytiri, the lead female character, is shown briefly in the trailer with a pregnant bump. This could be a prime opportunity for the LEGO Group to represent pregnant bodies across its themes. This has never been done before, despite LEGO City 60204 City Hospital featuring a newborn and its parents.

It would be a fairly easy piece to implement, potentially functioning much like a scarf does in fitting around the neck of a minifigure. Providing a domed belly, it could be used interchangeably between characters not just to show pregnancy, but also to show different-sized bodies.

Looking at characters like Thor in LEGO Marvel 76200 Bro Thor’s New Asgard, this would be a more accurate and dynamic way of representing different bodies, rather than simply using lines to portray different shapes and sizes.

With body positivity becoming more and more welcomed by people from all walks of life, seeing a wider range of bodies would help the LEGO Group appeal to even more people. Considering the recent relaunch of the LEGO Friends range, this matches well with the company’s goals moving forward.

“We want children to see the new LEGO Friends Universe, both in the physical product and the content we’re launching in 2023, as a reflection of their own friendships and to see the characters as authentic,” said LEGO Friends Head of Product Tracie Chiarella. “We have chosen to evolve the LEGO Friends Universe and TV show to be more inclusive in order to give parents and kids more tools to navigate friendship and their emotions as they grow and learn.”

If we want children to see LEGO sets as authentic and representative of the people they know in real life, then it’s time to introduce a wider range of bodies. Kids have been playing ‘Mums and Dads’ for years; a pregnant body piece could make that possible for LEGO sets as well.

What’s more, seeing better representations of all body shapes and sizes is believed to help improve young people’s self-esteem and confidence. Essentially, everything that the LEGO Group aims to do in their work with children and teens.

Outside of the social advantages, it would just make for even more creative building possibilities. I’m thinking pregnant Padme in LEGO Star Wars builds, a LEGO Santa with an authentic round tummy, and as many more possibilities as LEGO fans can imagine.

Let’s bring the LEGO Group’s diversity out of a single theme and expand it to include all minifigures – starting with pregnant people.

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