Some Teddy Bears Are Trans, Says Taxpayer-Backed Arts Group
27th July 2026
The Villiers Revealed project includes an exploration of Care Bears as “a symbol for the LGBTQA+ community”, and says some of these bears are “transgender or gender fluid”.
The project was developed by Culture Leicestershire, backed by public funding from Arts Council England, to highlight “trans narratives erased by colonialism”.
Care Bears, spanning children’s toys and cartoon characters, were launched by the American Greetings card company in 1981, becoming highly popular throughout the decade.
The exhibition said one bear, called Funshine, had been variously depicted as male and female since the launch of the toys and could be considered “a symbol for the LGBTQA+ community” and a role model.