Toy Week: The "L" Doll

When you gaze upon the vast expanse of politically-correct dolls across the toy industry landscape, you'll find all sorts of special varieties so that little girls can have a doll with whom they can identify. You've got your ethnic dolls, handicapped dolls, dolls with learning disabilities, dolls that can't see straight. There are dolls representing every religion (excepting those that forbid dolls), race, occupation, and most combinations that you can imagine. But until now, they didn't make any lesbian dolls. Sure, we all had our suspicions about Midge, but there were never any openly gay female dolls until Bobbie came along.

Produced by Dykedolls, which is basically a one-woman venture started by S. Perdomo, Bobbie is a 13-inch tall fashion doll, with a decidedly different take on fashion. You can buy Bobbie dressed in your choice of three outfits: "Doc Holliday," Western gear, now that the world has been made safe for gay cowboys; "Rockabilly," with sleeveless white T-shirt and leather jacket; while "Diesel" sports a sleeveless denim shirt and trucker's wallet. Some Bobbie dolls also come with what can best be described as "adult accessories," so be warned, this is probably not a doll that you want to give your five-year-old, no matter what vibes you're picking up. Bobbie is strictly an adult novelty. She might be a great gift for a teen struggling with their sexual identity, but it'd probably be inappropriate coming from anyone other than a loving parent.

And even then, the "accessories" might be a bit much. Still, it's about time that lesbians had a doll that they could call their own. Gay men have Billy, and as far back as the 70's, they had Gay Bob, who was sold in a box that looked like a little closet. Before that, they had Ken. So isn't it time that inclusion hit the toybox, and everyone gets their own doll? Bobbie is available from select bookstores and gift shops, or you can order her here.

At between $40 and $50 a pop, you pretty much have to see Bobbie as a toy for adults. Tomorrow we look at toys that are actually intended for kids.