The dolls of many of our childhoods have become unique artifacts well into adulthood. You have Barbie, her iconic pink style commemorated in a billion-dollar film production from 2023. Of course, there’s also Ken, her doting boyfriend who aimlessly follows her around. Then there’s Gay Bob.

A one-of-a-kind 13-inch tall plastic doll, Gay Bob was born in 1977 and sold in fashion catalogues and select stores across the United States. He sports a button-up flannel polo, a pair of high-waisted jeans, and one shiny earring. Furthermore, Gay Bob is anatomically correct.

Who had the guts to market such a bold product to the heteronormative audience of the 1970s?  None other than an innovative advertising executive ready to dismiss traditional gender roles of marketing. His name was Harvey Rosenberg.

 

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Rosenberg did not identify as a gay man, but he strongly supported multiple civil rights movements and wanted Gay Bob to be a doll representative of inclusivity and free expression. He invested $10,000 to get the project off the ground.

Rosenberg constructed the doll as well as the clever packaging that Gay Bob lives in. The cardboard box purposely resembles a closet with clothing details illustrated on the walls. When Gay Bob is taken out of his packaging, he is literally and figuratively coming out of the closet.

 

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These daring features of the LGBTQ+ doll were received with mixed reviews from consumers. Beauty queen Anita Bryant launched a hateful homophobic agenda and strongly opposed Gay Bob. Other conservative and anti-LGBTQ+ extremists expressed similar sentiments, which likely contributed to the short life of Bob.

On the other hand, Gay Bob was a revolutionary doll and mascot for the queer community. Less than ten years after the Stonewall Riots, there remained tensions and limited rights and representations for gay people. To be represented in the market, even through something small like a doll, was a huge milestone.

Today, Gay Bob is a treasured relic of the past and a collectors item for antique-lovers and gay men alike. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Museum of the City of New York hold Gay Bob dolls with original packaging in their collections. 

Although Gay Bob had a short-lived production period, his memory lives on as it approaches the 50th anniversary of his release. Whether a Barbie or a Gay Bob, dolls have been champions of inclusivity, free expression, and childlike excitement for all ages.