The Michigan state House of Representatives has introduced legislation to stop fast food restaurants from offering ‘boy toys’ and ‘girl toys’, saying that they “limit children’s imaginations.” Democratic representative Leslie Love is behind House Resolution No. 429.
"Food establishments often offer a toy with their meals marketed to young children, and in some cases the customer is asked if they prefer a 'girl toy' or a 'boy toy,'” the resolution reads. “Often, the designated 'boy toys' are action figures or building toys, typically, in primary colours, whereas 'girl toys' are often stuffed animals and are usually in a pastel colour scheme.”
“This is a significant issue as billions of these meals are sold every year and this practice can influence and limit children’s imaginations and interests by promoting some toys as only suitable for girls and others only for boys,” it continues. “While some food establishments claim to have abandoned this practice, many stores in Michigan continue to offer gender-classified options to customers."
The resolution also cites a 2015 study from Association for Psychological Science, which found that boys are more likely to play with toys that develop spatial intelligence and reasoning than girls.
”These skills are especially important for success in academic and professional domains, including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)."
The gendering of children’s toys has long been a subject of debate worldwide, but Michigan residents aren’t that pleased that their state is going to be a test case, considering the other issues the state is dealing with currently. Flint, the town which has been in the headlines since 2014 for lead contamination and Legionnaires outbreaks due to a tainted water supply, still doesn’t have clean water.
