When ‘Protect the Dolls’ Becomes a Cop-Out: Real Ways to Support Trans People on IDAHOBIT
Fashion’s biggest night, the Met Gala, sees untouchable celebrities parade up a blue staircase in designs touched by hundreds of hands. For better or worse, every step on the carpet is tailored to break the internet — and leave us wishing we could feel that custom, luxury fabric on our skin, too. At the top of the stairs, journalists shout for the opportunity to interview a cultural icon before they disappear into the night.
One journalist yells, “Will you protect the dolls?” at each celebrity, with their camera ready to catch even just a one-word answer. It’s fascinating that a T-shirt, one of the most inexpensive and mass-produced clothing items in the world, is getting a shot in the spotlight next to these couture gowns — all because those words, “Protect The Dolls,” are printed onto it. Suddenly, the T-shirt I’m wearing on my couch right now feels like it could be special, too.
When Alex Consani, transgender model and cultural sensation, hears “Alex, as THE doll, do you feel protected?” she apprehensively responds, “Um, I would say so… I mean we’re here…” with a cordial, empty smile gracing her sculpted face. The truth is, in today’s America, trans women are not protected — our mere existence is threatened. All of the security guards, wealth, and fashion designers in the world can’t change the fact that trans people, as of the last 100 days, are denied access to gender-affirming care in 27 states.
Chappell Roan, the queer community’s newest cisgender princess, is also asked if she protects the dolls. She confirms enthusiastically, further highlighting the proud, vocal pro-LGBTQ+ stance our community admires her for, but her actions usually fall short of her words.
So what does it mean to “protect the dolls,” and what would be better than just wearing the words? For me, it looks like calling your lawmakers, even when it feels hopeless. It’s financially supporting trans creators, not just resharing our content. It’s making sure that when your workplace says “we support LGBTQ+ people,” trans people are actually safe and paid fairly behind the scenes. It’s exhausting having to shout for protection; I’d rather live in a world where that protection is just a given.
“Protect the dolls” is a valuable sentiment, and the fact that it’s trending in mainstream media shows how far we’ve come. But no matter how much I wish it could, wearing this T-shirt is one of the easiest ways to show support. It’s like posting a rainbow square during Pride month and calling it activism; it looks good on the surface and, sure, the thought is appreciated, but it doesn’t move the needle without action behind it. I want to see allies going beyond the T-shirt by donating, speaking up, and making real changes in their everyday lives, all of which can actually be done in five minutes or less: Try amplifying the dolls’ voices, educating yourself on the obstacles we face, or sharing a post from a trans creator. Send $5 to someone’s transition fund. Read a quick explainer on anti-trans legislation. Text your senator. Gently correct someone when they misgender someone else. These aren’t grand gestures, they’re habits. And they matter.
As I’m eating dinner in my blank white T-shirt, judging the Met Gala looks like Anna Wintour would at the top of the stairs, I think about how trans people are targeted more than any other faction of our LGBTQ+ community. While trans representation matters now more than ever, it can put us in harm’s way when it’s not done correctly. This International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, I want some weight lifted off trans people’s shoulders. I want to hear more about homophobia and biphobia from my peers, too, and in a way that gives trans people a break for a moment. Same-sex marriage, for example, is threatened all across America right now.
Last month, surprise-guest Troye Sivan levitated from Charli XCX’s Coachella stage wearing a “Protect The Dolls” tee. The crowd went wild, unsurprisingly; his audience has a strong appetite for anything doll-related, as he staunchly supports the trans community using words and action. He makes supporting the dolls cool. Some trans people interpret his song “One Of Your Girls” as a trans anthem: The lyrics “I’ll be like one of your girls or your homies… I’ll keep it a secret, you get the key to my heart” can reflect the friction between trans women’s worthiness of love while being made to feel like an embarrassing secret. And the song’s music video showcases gender variance at its finest.
Seeing a gay man like Troye casually use his big moment as a political statement, without any performative fuss, felt like the proper use of the T-shirt.
But that shirt can’t do the work alone, and neither can Troye, Chappell, Alex Consani, or any celebrity alone. “Protect The Dolls” has to mean more than a moment, a slogan, or a social caption. It has to look like voting in local elections. It has to sound like speaking up at dinner when your friend says something subtly harmful. It has to feel like real allyship when it’s inconvenient, unglamorous, or unacknowledged. If you're going to wear the shirt, mean it. Make sure your actions match the energy of the words you’re putting on your chest. And most of all, don’t just protect the dolls — build a world where we don’t need protecting in the first place.
