Protect the Dolls T-Shirt: Its Impact
You may have seen Pedro Pascal wearing this simple white T-shirt recently. Or you may have caught a glimpse of Troye Sivan's guest appearance at Coachella. This Protect The Dolls shirt has been blowing up all over the internet in the past few weeks. It has been creating a lot of buzz, and generating talk surrounding the trans community. How has this shirt had such a big impact on the internet? Why has it gone so viral? How is it helping the trans community, and what does it mean?
Pedro Pascal on the Red Carpet
“Dolls” is an endearing term that refers to trans women. It is typically used amongst trans women in a warm and affectionate way. It comes from slang that implies beauty and femininity. It is considered such a positive term because it is empowering and celebratory for trans women.
The designer Connor Ives wore a plain white shirt with the words Protect The Dolls after his show in London this past February. This shirt was then picked up by celebrities and influencers who support or have close ties to the trans community. Two months later Pedro Pascal, an iconic actor best known for his roles in Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, wore it on a red carpet. The shirt went extremely viral and just a few weeks later Australian singer Troye Sivan wore it on Coachella's main stage while performing with Charli XCX.
Troye Sivan's Instagram post at Coachella
Ives initially wore the shirt to protest the recent Equality Act that was passed which referred to only biological women, and excluded trans women. The designer did not agree with this statement and started selling the shirt on his website, with all proceeds going to the American organization Trans Lifeline. His sales have been increasing greatly by the day and he has successfully raised over $500,00 for the organization. The designer is passionate about fighting against Donald Trump's anti-trans policies because he has close ties to the trans community.
The slogan has since become very popular, used on signs at protests, on people's shirts everywhere, and used in hashtags on social media. Pedro Pascal wearing the shirt on the red carpet was a very pivotal moment. He was standing up for his sister Lux, who happens to be a trans woman. He is largely credited for making the slogan so popular. When Troye Sivan wore the shirt shortly after, it was another big moment for the community. An article from Attitude Magazine claims that it is especially important when people in the LGBTQ community stand up for the trans community, and that is exactly what Troye Sivan did at Coachella.
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It's refreshing to vocal support for the trans community go viral at such a sensitive time for the entire LGBTQ community. In an era where DEI and trans healthcare is being threatened by our current administration, its important that people with large platforms take a stand for a small, vulnerable minority. Troye Sivan's choice to wear the shirt especially speaks to me because there has been a movement of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people who have denounced the trans community in an effort to establish division amongst the wider LGBTQ community. This shirt is an effective reminder that in times of need, it's important to defend one another and publicly voice our support.
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