Michigan Lawmakers: McDonald's Should Stop Asking, "Boy or Girl Toy?"

Lawmakers in Michigan have introduced a resolution urging restaurants in the state to stop offering “girls” and “boys” toys with kids meals. Instead, they argue, customers should be offered a toy-specific choice, like “My Little Pony or Transformer,” reports Fox 8 News.

The resolution, which was introduced in the Michigan House last week, argues that the practice of offering a choice between a “girl or boy toy”—a common one with fast food restaurants like McDonald’s and Burger King—helps to limit kids’ sense of gender-appropriate behavior. It reads:

Often, the designated “boy toys” are action figures or building toys, typically, in primary colors, whereas “girl toys” are often stuffed animals and are usually in a pastel color scheme. This is a significant issue as billions of these meals are sold every year and this practice can influence and limit children’s imaginations and interests by promoting some toys as only suitable for girls and others only for boys. While some food establishments claim to have abandoned this practice, many stores in Michigan continue to offer gender-classified options to customers.

Lawmakers point to a 2015 study finding that “boys are more likely to play with toys that develop spatial intelligence and reasoning than girls,” and highlights that those skills are “especially important for success in academic and professional domains.” The lawmakers call on the resolution to be “transmitted to the CEO of the boards of directors of the major fast food chains in Michigan,” who can then choose to listen to the resolution, or not.

It seems there are bigger Filets-O-Fish to fry when it comes to sugary, high-caloric meals using cutesy toys to indoctrinate kids into the craven corporate fast food realm? Buuuutttt, sure, it’s something.