What Does 'Protect The Dolls' Slogan Mean? The Message Of The Viral White Tee Explained

What Does 'Protect The Dolls' Slogan Mean? The Message Of The Viral White Tee Explained

What does "dolls" mean in queer slang and which celebrities have been seen wearing the viral white shirt with the slogan?

Conner Ives Wants You to Actually Protect the Dolls

The now-viral T-shirt has been spotted on celebrities like Pedro Pascal, Tilda Swinton, and Alex Consani—and for good reason.

The Celeb Must-Have of the Season? Conner Ives’s 'Protect The Dolls' Tee

Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty ImagesAt the end of Conner Ives’s fall 2025 show in February, the American-born, London-based designer took his final bow in a white t-shirt with black lettering that read “Protect The Dolls.” Though it wasn’t officially part of the collection, the designer heard the demand and began selling it. If you’re not up on current queer slang, “dolls” is as an affectionate term for transgender women, and proceeds from the shi…

"Protection for our trans friends should be a given": The bittersweet necessity of Conner Ives' 'Protect the Dolls' shirt

Worn by Pedro Pascal and Troye Sivan, the T-shirt has become a rallying cry against the Supreme Court's ruling on gender definition

What began as a gesture of solidarity on a catwalk is now a global phenomenon with political and social impact. The phrase “Protect the Dolls”, stamped on a white shirt, became a message of resistance against the US government’s transphobic policies. Responsible: Conner Ives, a 28-year-old American designer who closed his autumn-winter 2025 fashion parade at London Fashion Week with this message.