When I found out that Kira had two aunts, Mamie and Lynette, I wanted to cry tears of joy. I immediately texted my mom and my sister the news despite it being five in the morning, and I felt so happy.
American Girl has had its fair share of backlash for supporting the LGBT community in the past. In 2005, American Girl sold bracelets supporting Girls Inc, and they eventually retired after homophobic individuals boycotted American Girl because Girls Inc supported the LGBT community. In 2015, after a girl with two dads was featured in American Girl magazine, another AG boycott was organized. So it means the world to me that American Girl is taking a big step and representing lesbians- people like me- in their newest book series.
It's now 2021. It's only been legal for same-sex couples to marry for five years (and even less than that in Australia), yet LGBT people have existed forever. Like Mamie and Lynette, for example. They were in love even before Kira was born, yet their love couldn't be recognized and wasn't widely accepted until a few short years ago. But American Girl- and Erin Teagan, the author of Kira's books- decided to tell their story and show the world that the LGBT community exists, and I am beyond grateful.
So, thank you, American Girl. Thank you, Erin Teagan. Thank you for creating some more hard-to-find representation for us LGBT people. I will forever remember Kira as a doll with a groundbreaking story due to this, and I will cherish her forever.