'Carlos' doll

Doll, 'Carlos', with packaging, marketed to the gay community, plus publicity material, by TOTEM International Inc., USA, c. 1999.

The ‘Carlos’ doll was marketed as ‘The World’s First Out and Proud Boyfriend’ for the Wall Street Billy. Carlos, Billy, and fellow doll Tyson were designed by artists John McKitterick and Juan Andres in response to the negativity directed towards the gay community during the AIDS epidemic. Their designs were meant to create positive visibility, promote safe sex, and champion diverse representations. The dolls were somewhat controversial when first produced due to their anatomically detailed bodies, including large genitals, and explicit links to the gay community. Despite this, continued demand for the dolls led to mass manufacturing by Totem International Ltd. McKitterick and Andres first introduced Carlos in 1998, informing fans that ‘in a chance meeting with the sensitive and strikingly handsome Carlos, Billy has surrounded his heart and fallen in love’. Carlos was depicted as Puerto Rican, highlighting the diversity within the gay community. This version of the doll was produced in 1999 and marketed as ‘Vacation Carlos’. He is dressed in brown shorts and sandals, a checked shirt, and a red vest top emblazoned ‘Everybody Knows my Boyfriend is Gay’.