Lego drops diversity terminology after slew of ‘inclusive' characters
Lego has dropped diversity and inclusion terminology from a yearly report, despite recently introducing a slew of 'inclusive' mini-figures into its play sets.
Words such as 'diversity', 'LGBTQ+' or 'people of colour' were absent from the Danish toy-maker's 2024 annual sustainability report, but had featured heavily in its 2023 document.
The phrase 'diversity and inclusion' was mentioned three times in the previous report, including in the chief executive's introduction, but is missing from the latest update.
In December, the company announced it would release sunflower-badge-wearing toy figures to indicate they had hidden disabilities such as autism or dementia. Lauren von Stackelberg, Lego's chief diversity and inclusion officer, said at the time the company hoped that 'modelling a world in which all kinds of people are celebrated will help us embrace diversity, value inclusivity and remove stigma'.
It followed years of attempts to make its brick universe more diverse, which included introducing toys with different skin tones or from different cultures.
Other figures had missing limbs, or medical conditions such as Down's syndrome or vitiligo.
Iben Schmidt, a Danish journalist, said she had spoken to a 'number of experts' regarding Lego's apparent change in approach, 'and they find it difficult to see it as anything other than trying to be in line with the new course from the Trump administration'.
'Just a year ago, [Lego] was not shy about talking about their work with diversity and showing that they were very inclusive,' she said.
'Words like LGBTQ, 'people of colour', 'woman', 'diversity' had completely disappeared in their sustainability report for 2024.' The 2024 report does address gender balance at the director level, aiming for a 57 per cent male and 43 per cent female split by 2025, but stressed that 'appointments are made on merit'.
Lego's shift in tone comes as Donald Trump's crackdown on diversity programmes appeared to have hit Europe, with several companies across the EU reportedly receiving letters from US officials saying the rollback also applies to firms looking to do business with the US.
It is not clear whether Lego has received such contact from the US. Lego said in a statement: 'Every year we review and adapt our reporting to ensure it complies with latest requirements and reflects our plans and results.'We also regularly update our policies. We believe that the different backgrounds, perspectives, skills and experiences of our colleagues are our strength and contribute to our ambition to reach children around the world with Lego play experiences.'We want to attract, retain and develop the best talent and have always worked to provide equal opportunities for all our colleagues. We are fully committed to our diversity and inclusion initiatives and to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone.'
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