Protect the Dolls

Arran2024 · 2025-04-26T11:07:21+00:00

This is the slogan on a t-shirt which has become popular with trans allies. "Dolls" is apparently an "affectionate term" for trans women. This article explains it (without any consideration of how calling trans women "dolls" comes across imo - making out they are fragile, beautiful, blank and unthreatening play objects). [[https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/apr/25/protect-the-dolls-t-shirt-fashion-symbol-trans-rights https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/apr/25/protect-the-dolls-t-shirt-fashion-symbol-trans-rights]]

TheaBrandt1 · 26/04/2025 12:08

Considering the stats as to who actually is being murdered and attacked I would dismiss anyone wearing this as an absolute clueless bandwagon jumping prat.

sleepypea · 26/04/2025 12:09

Apparently dolls means passing homosexual trans identified males while non passing trans identified males (who are straight i.e. "transbians") are called bricks or Huns. I think Pascals brother is a "doll" I am not sure if there is now a split in the trans ranks where the "dolls" think the "huns" or "bricks" have ruined everything for them.

Original poster

Arran2024 · 26/04/2025 13:04

sleepypea · 26/04/2025 12:09

Apparently dolls means passing homosexual trans identified males while non passing trans identified males (who are straight i.e. "transbians") are called bricks or Huns. I think Pascals brother is a "doll" I am not sure if there is now a split in the trans ranks where the "dolls" think the "huns" or "bricks" have ruined everything for them.

Edited

How very interesting. Thanks

OP posts:

mrshoho · 26/04/2025 13:47

Yes IW is a self proclaimed 'doll' bless him.

loveyouradvice · 26/04/2025 13:49

fascinating @sleepypea ... they are right... it will be fascinating if this split in the ranks materialises....

GenderlessVoid · 26/04/2025 13:57

Brianna Wu, a trans woman with a thread on the Farms, has a podcast with other transwomen called Doll Cast. I think in response to the shirt, JK Rowling has a picture of creepy dolls as her header photo on Xitter.

There is also this thread on FWR
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5322537-protect-the-dolls-doesnt-that-just-say-it-all

https://x.com/jkrowling/headerphoto

https://x.com/jk_rowling/header_photo

sleepypea · 26/04/2025 13:58

mrshoho · 26/04/2025 13:47

Yes IW is a self proclaimed 'doll' bless him.

He's quite right actually the resemblance is uncanny!

Westfacing · 26/04/2025 13:59

I can't for a minute think that describing transwomen as 'Dolls' does them any favours! An affectionate term in the LGBTQ+ community, apparently.

There are transwomen who have lived quietly and decently in their chosen roles for decades - I wonder how they feel about being referred to as Dolls.

LivingLaVidaBabyShower · 26/04/2025 14:04

sleepypea · 26/04/2025 12:09

Apparently dolls means passing homosexual trans identified males while non passing trans identified males (who are straight i.e. "transbians") are called bricks or Huns. I think Pascals brother is a "doll" I am not sure if there is now a split in the trans ranks where the "dolls" think the "huns" or "bricks" have ruined everything for them.

Edited

Fascinating... geniunely.

The reductiveness of their chosen naming conventions says a lot imo.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 26/04/2025 14:04

Interesting. The word ‘doll’ would make me think of Barbie’s - fake, plastic, vapid, a materialistic unrealistic representation of an actual woman that just focus on looks rather than thinking of any fragile/ beautiful etc connotations. I’m surprised it’s a term that’s being used willingly by transwomen/ allies as I wouldn’t have thought they’d want to use something that is a fake and stereotypical version of an actual woman to represent themselves, I thought they wanted to be seen as real women.

Original poster

Arran2024 · 26/04/2025 14:50

MolkosTeenageAngst · 26/04/2025 14:04

Interesting. The word ‘doll’ would make me think of Barbie’s - fake, plastic, vapid, a materialistic unrealistic representation of an actual woman that just focus on looks rather than thinking of any fragile/ beautiful etc connotations. I’m surprised it’s a term that’s being used willingly by transwomen/ allies as I wouldn’t have thought they’d want to use something that is a fake and stereotypical version of an actual woman to represent themselves, I thought they wanted to be seen as real women.

Edited

So many different sorts of dolls - barbies, yes, but also sex dolls, the most compliant of them all. And scary dolls like Chucky, old fashioned Victorian dolls which now sit on shelves to be admired. I def am not thinking Baby Annabel or Tiny Tears!

OP posts:

GreenFriedTomato · 26/04/2025 16:52

I'm reminded of the malfunctioning blow up dolls in Only Fools and Horses