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 (he/they) is an English-speaking social media strategist, writer, and podcast producer based in Chicago. Before Xtra, he developed and executed audience engagement efforts at TechCrunch, BuzzFeed News, and WTTW News. Their work as a film and television critic focuses on the intersection of genre and identity and has been published in the Chicago Reader, CINE-FILE, Thrillist, Paste Magazine, and more. He is also the co-host and producer of Into the Twilight, a podcast about the Twilight Saga and other vampire media.

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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