this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
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Blåhaj

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Blåhawhat? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 2 years ago by metacolon@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/blahaj@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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Ok please don't be offended, I'm just innocently unknowing and only recently started identifying as something like enby transfem. But what is the meaning of the blåhajs? Why does a (admittably cute) plush Ikea shark have such relevance here? And can you maybe also enlighten me about common pitfalls I should avoid? (Like a wrong model, wrong spelling, wrong way of cuddling, ...) Or how strict are the blåhaj expectations there? Thanks <3

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[–] NateSwift@beehaw.org 19 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Relevant bit:

In 2018, Blåhaj grew to prominence as an internet meme, with social media users posting humorous photos of it in their homes. Around this time, Blåhaj began to be associated with the LGBT and particularly transgender communities. IKEA was seen as acknowledging this phenomenon (despite not openly declaring such) when the company ran a series of ads in support of the 2021 Swiss same-sex marriage referendum featuring the toy. Due to this association, Blåhaj has become commonly regarded as a symbol of the online transgender community.

In November 2022, IKEA Canada hosted a giveaway offering transgender people a special edition Blåhaj in the colors of the transgender pride flag, and with their name embroidered on their fin. One of these was gifted to a sexual health centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

A photo description also notes that the colors are somewhat similar to the trans flag

[–] stella@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

can they please make the special edition thing a regular thing because i need it

[–] whodatdair@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

I would pay an unreasonable sum of money for one of those with my SO’s name

[–] colin@lemmy.uninsane.org 4 points 2 years ago

i wonder if the bit about colors being similar to trans flag is more of a convenient post-hoc explanation though. how many fewer people really would have bought or posted blahaj if its belly had been cream instead of white, say?