History Made: Transgender Barbie Has Arrived!
“In this environment where trans kids are being attacked … this can also be a celebration of transness, and also a space for them to dream, understand, and be reminded that trans is beautiful.” -Laverne Cox
(Monica Schipper via Getty Images for Laverne Cox)
Mattel recently released a Barbie doll based on Laverne Cox, marking the first time a doll has been inspired by a transgender woman.
The $40 doll features Cox in a red gown over a sparkly catsuit, according to Glamour. It’s been her dream to work with Barbie, expressing excitement about seeing the doll on shelves.
“What excites me most about her being out in the world is that trans young people can see her and maybe get to purchase her and play with her, and know that there’s a Barbie made by Mattel, for the first time, in the likeness of a trans person,” said Cox. “In this environment where trans kids are being attacked … this can also be a celebration of transness, and also a space for them to dream, understand, and be reminded that trans is beautiful.”
Beyond the impact she hopes the doll will have on younger generations, she acknowledged the presence Barbie had on her.
“I was telling my therapist how I was really shamed by my mother when I was a kid when I wanted to play with a Barbie doll but I was denied. And I had a lot of shame and trauma about that,” she said. “And my therapist said to me, ‘It is never too late to have a happy childhood.’ She said, ‘Go out and buy yourself a Barbie and play with her.’”
After telling her mother what her therapist said, Cox’s mother gave her a Barbie doll.