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THERE'S A NEW star rising in the Twin Cities' gay scene. He's very, very quiet, and he's only 13-inches tall; nevertheless, he's managing to make himself known. Meet Billy, the world's first "out and proud gay doll"--as both the packaging and the package suggest. There are four versions of the Billy doll currently available in the United States: Sailor Billy, dressed in nautical attire; Cowboy Billy; San Francisco Billy, who wears a vest, shorts, and hiking boots; and Master Billy, who sports black leather pants that are both shiny and cruel. Billy's got a linebacker neck and an ultra-defined six pack. And unlike his neutered cousin Ken, Billy comes anatomically complete: Part of his appeal is a generous schwantz, and erect nipples with nubby aureole.
The original Billy doll came from England, where a group called the Friends of Billy manufactured a limited edition of 1,200 dolls for a London AIDS benefit. When this first edition sold out within a year (at a price of around $275 per doll), the Friends of Billy got to work on the mass-market edition. According to John McKitterick, one of the original Friends of Billy and current spokesperson for Billy's manufacturer, Totem International Ltd. (USA), Billy is breaking both economic and social boundaries. "The original concept behind Billy had to do with gay visibility," says McKitterick. "We felt the mainstream press would be more likely to write about gay issues through something as frivolous as a doll, as opposed to something very serious such as a demonstration or a march. Once they start talking about the doll they can't help but start talking about other things."
Textured nipples aside, the Billy doll is noteworthy for his commercial versatility. "Over half our stores are mainstream [read: straight] stores," says McKitterick. "I think what that's saying is that gay is no longer a taboo word, and that it's no longer a taboo subject. Billy can sit quite proudly in the window of a straight gift store... Billy is lots of things to lots of people. To some people Billy is a sexual icon. To other people he is a fun gift. To others he is a political statement. To others he's something to collect. That's what a doll is. You lay your own fantasy on the doll. At the end of the day, he's what you want him to be."
With this malleability comes the opportunity for controversy. Like Barbie, Billy relies heavily on his costumes to convey his various identities--costumes that play off of specific gay archetypes. When asked if Billy might be perpetuating gay stereotypes, McKitterick is unapologetic. "On one side Billy is all the things I've talked about. On the other side, he's also a commercial venture that lots of money has been put into.... He's a mass-production item. In a way, he has to be the doll the consumer wants if he's to survive."
According to McKitterick, there have been few serious complaints about Billy, though some people have raised issues about his build and race. McKitterick sees this as unfortunate. "I don't see Billy as a gay character but as a diverse character. Billy is a doll who is about love and understanding, about acceptance. In many ways he is the most shocking doll. But he is also the most understanding doll, the most loving doll." (Dennis Cass)
The Billy doll is available at Rainbow Road, A Brothers Touch, and other area stores.
