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In the decades since the Stonewall Uprising, LGBTQ+ people have fought hard for things like the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, overturning Lawrence v. Texas, and winning marriage equality. But it was that first radical act on Christopher Street that started a social and political movement that continues to this day.
And yet despite Stonewall’s incredible influence on the gay rights movement, many people fail to remember it or understand its importance, but one queer man is seeking to change that one LEGO brick at a time.
As part of an ongoing contest held by LEGO, Flavio, an Italian artist who uses the colorful brick as his canvas, created a set that would allow people to build their own version of the Stonewall Inn.
“I decided to pay tribute to an iconic place for LGBTQIA+ people and for everyone who shares these values, no matter their identity,” Flavio tells PRIDE. "It felt natural to choose the Stonewall National Monument, because The Stonewall Inn, Christopher Street, and Christopher Park are powerful symbols of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement. They also represent the long journey the world still needs to take toward equality, a journey that began years ago, but still needs all our support.”
Now, Flavio, who uses the name Feacebricks for all of his LEGO creations, is anxiously waiting for the results of the LEGO Ideas challenge, where fan-designed projects become future sets that will be sold to the public based on fan votes and comments.
Flavio believes that the Stonewall Uprising should be known by everyone and is hopeful that if his set is mass-produced, more people will learn about this important part of queer history.
“If this set were produced, copies of it would enter hundreds of thousands of homes worldwide,” he says. “The story of Stonewall could then be remembered by those who already know it, and discovered and taught to many others who don’t.”
The Stonewall Inn set isn’t the only LGBTQ+-centric LEGO set Flavio has created. He has also designed a “Lavender Nursery,” a greenhouse with a flower shop next door owned by a trans woman, and a Heartstopper set that pays tribute to the popular Netflix queer teen drama based on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman.
Heartstopper LEGO set.
Courtesy of Feacebricks
“I strongly believe that LGBTQIA+ visibility in everyday life and in the media is essential for the development of civil society and the well-being of young people,” Flavio explains. “Visibility is the main path to spreading culture and awareness about respect for different sexual orientations and gender identities.”
While LEGO sets may seem like just a way to have fun, Flavio believes his Stonewall set could have “a real impact” because it is a way to “spread representation, culture, civil values, smiles, and open, constructive dialogue.”
And his set has already made a difference to people who have seen his concept art on the LEGO Ideas website. “This, now more than ever, is so important,” someone commented on the website. “LEGO has always supported love and life in all its forms, and having this as an official set would send a huge message to the world: we are here and we are queer!”
Another person wrote that “boys' toys” like LEGO were an “important part of my trans identity” and that “seeing my identity and one of the major moments of the LGBT rights movement be represented in Lego would mean a lot to me, and I would buy this in an instant.”
More than the art of designing the sets themselves, it’s responses like this that make Flavio happy. “So many LGBTQIA+ people and families have written in the comments section of the project page saying they finally feel seen and represented. That moves me deeply,” he says.
Support Flavio's Stonewall LEGO set here.
