this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
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Blåhaj

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Blåhawhat? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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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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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I had to look that up the other day too. Wikipedia has what seems to be a reasonable explanation. Take a look at the "In Culture" section. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bl%C3%A5haj

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 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

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

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