| Barbie website changed to appease conservatives
by
PageOneQ
WASHINGTON (January 6, 2006) Under pressure initiated by a variety of conservative groups, the Barbie website has been amended to no longer include "I Don't Know" as a choice in addition to "Girl" and "Boy."
 The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC),a DC-based advocacy organization said the changes were not necessary. The group characterized the change as a "retreat."
In a statement issued by the organization, executive director Riki Wilchins noted, "Conservative organizations have attacked a variety of cartoon and fictional characters, including Winnie the Pooh, Tinky Winky, SpongeBob SquarePants, Shrek 2's Pinocchio, and now Barbie for either sex or gender issues," continued Wilchins. "What's next?," she added.
Acknowledging that children are given a neutral or non-response option on all questions on their websites, Mattel spokeswoman Lauren Bruksh called such an option under gender, "just an innocent oversight."
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Originally published on Friday January 6, 2006.
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