Is Labubu a gay icon?

The Pop Mart blind box doll fits into a long history of the gay obsession

Is Labubu a gay icon? If you’ve been on the internet recently, you’ve likely seen the Pop Mart phenomenon Labubu. She’s fuzzy, she’s slightly scary-looking and she’s been selling out in seconds—even with her high price tag.

But interestingly, she’s also fostered a devoted fan base of queer people. People are dressing like Labubu at Pride parades, queer tattoo artists are giving them custom ink and there’s even a very thorough tutorial on how to give a Labubu a BBL, if that’s something you’re into. And celebs like Rihanna, Lisa, Dua Lipa and even Bethenny Frankel have been seen accessorizing with the dolls. 

We break why and how this strange little monster has become so beloved by the gays.

Cody Corrall is Xtra's Social Video Producer. Their work has appeared in BuzzFeed News, TechCrunch, the Chicago Reader, CINE-FILE, Thrillist, Paste Magazine, and other places on the world wide web. He lives in Chicago and speaks English.

Senior editor Mel Woods is an English-speaking Vancouver-based writer, editor and audio producer and a former associate editor with HuffPost Canada. A proud prairie queer and ranch dressing expert, their work has also appeared in Vice, Slate, the Tyee, the CBC, the Globe and Mail and the Walrus.

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