LEGO is celebrating diversity by revealing a new product that features 11 monochrome minifigures arranged as a Pride flag. 40516 Everyone Is Awesome was designed by LEGO’s Vice President of Design Matthew Ashton and draws its name from the catchy tune in The LEGO Movie. Ashton says, “I wanted to create a model that symbolises inclusivity and celebrates everyone, no matter how they identify or who they love.” The company plans to for the set to be available in time for Pride Month in June. With 346 pieces and 11 minifigures, the set will be available June 1 for US $34.99 | CAN $44.99 | UK £30.
40516 Everyone Is Awesome | 346 pieces | US $34.99 | CAN $44.49 | UK £30
The set’s 11 minifigures are completely monochrome, including many hairpieces available in new colors. Together, they create the colors of the Progress Pride Flag, which is an inclusive design that combines stripes representing the traditional rainbow flag, the transgender flag, and communities of color.
Designer Matthew Ashton, who is also the VP of Design at LEGO, says, “I am fortunate to be a part of a proud, supportive and passionate community of colleagues and fans. We share love for creativity and self-expression through LEGO bricks and this set is a way to show my gratitude for all the love and inspiration that is constantly shared.”
The company has created a new page about their LGBTQIA+ community, which can be found at www.LEGO.com/EveryoneisAwesome.
Matthew Ashton, Vice President, Design, The LEGO Company
LEGO has also created a poster featuring the monochrome minifigures and the set’s logo. There’s no word yet if the poster will be available in a printed format, or if it will be digital only. In the meantime, you can download an A3-sized printable PDF version of the LEGO Everyone Is Awesome poster here if you want to print your own.
Read the full press release from LEGO below, as well as see additional images of the set.
Everyone is Awesome LEGO® set celebrates fans’ diversity
Billund, May 20th 2021: The LEGO Group today announces LEGO® Everyone is Awesome a set designed to celebrate the diversity of our fans and the world around us. The buildable display model is inspired by the iconic rainbow flag which is used as a symbol of love and acceptance by the LGBTQIA+ community and features 11 monochrome minifigures each with its own individual hairstyle and rainbow colour.
Set designer Matthew Ashton, Vice President, Design said: “I wanted to create a model that symbolises inclusivity and celebrates everyone, no matter how they identify or who they love.
“Everyone is unique, and with a little more love, acceptance and understanding in the world, we can all feel more free to be our true AWESOME selves! This model shows that we care, and that we truly believe ‘Everyone is awesome’!”
The 346 piece stands 10.24cm tall and has a depth of 12.80cm – a perfect fit for most shelves or window sills. It goes on sale on June 1, to mark start of Pride Month, and will be available through LEGO.com and LEGO branded stores, with a recommended retail price of 34,99 EUR/USD.
Matthew said that the set was also a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community within the LEGO Group and amongst the brand’s adult fans.
“I am fortunate to be a part of a proud, supportive and passionate community of colleagues and fans. We share love for creativity and self-expression through LEGO bricks and this set is a way to show my gratitude for all the love and inspiration that is constantly shared.”
The LEGO Group is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. It partners with Workplace Pride, Stonewall and Open for Business to help shape strategies to support employees who identify as LGBTQIA+ and allies across the company. It also supports UK-based charity, Diversity Role Models which works to educate children about inclusivity and empathy in order to build supportive and inclusive future generations.
For information about our LGBTQIA+ community visit www.LEGO.com/EveryoneisAwesome.
I agree with the release of this set, and how it says we need to support everyone, even though I do not agree with LGBTQIA+.
So close! LEGO has a really nice wheelchair piece that would have fit well with this theme.
@X
Question, if you “support everyone” as you say, than how is it possible for you to “not agree with LGBTQIA+? You’re kinda contradicting yourself there.
Best Battle Pack Lego’s released for quite a while…
I thought yellow already represented everyone and LEGO didn’t do politics.
This isn’t politics, it is human decency. Anyway interesting idea and display piece.
That’s the reason why I will keep my Lego budget for future… Politics I could live without.
Hayi – everyone may be awesome, but no one is pink, red, green or blue. For me this is a miss. Saying this is representative of diversity sounds to me like “I don’t see colour,” (read “I don’t want to see colour.”) And it’s also not supportive of LGBTQIA+; that’s a different flag. The set looks pretty, but feels like the title is a bit of a reach…
100% a battle pack…
Agree that the wheel chair piece would have made a lot of sense here.
Also agree that celebrating diversity is not, and should never be, political.
A friend of mine, “non-masterbuilder” shall we say, made a good point – diverse or not, it’s rather uncreative set to thrive creativity among all. Think about it, it’s sofa-bound virtue-signalling politics at its most obvious.
Ben: Of course it’s supportive of LGBTQIA+. That flag is the same exact colors as the stripes in this set. Nobody said this set IS the flag; it’s just the same colors. Seems like you’re reaching a bit.