In April 2025, Pedro Pascal, Troye Sivan and Tilda Swinton have all been spotted wearing a plain white T-shirt with the same slogan on it, written in all caps: "Protect the Dolls."

Since then, more celebrities and common people have been sharing their photographs wearing the viral shirt as it pops up seemingly everywhere.

So, what does its message mean, who designed the T-shirt, and how did it get so popular? Let's answer all of this and explain the slang and meaning behind the catchphrase.

What Is 'Protect The Dolls’ And What Does 'Doll' Mean?

In queer culture slang, "doll" is a term for a transgender woman. The term originated in the 1980s – or even earlier, according to some sources – in Ballroom culture, which is a predominantly Black and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture.

The term is an affectionate and complimentary one that one would use to refer to someone very beautiful and feminine.

Therefore, the recently viral "Protect the Dolls" is a call to protect transgender women and their rights.

What Is 'Protect The Dolls' T-Shirt And Who Made It?

The "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt is a simple white tee with the eponymous slogan on it. The slogan, written in all caps in Big Caslon font, is the centerpiece of the attire. There are no pictures on the front or the back, nothing but the call to lend support to transgender women.

American designer Conner Ives came up with an idea for a shirt in late February 2025, as Donald Trump officially became the United States president for the second time, something that many in the LGBTQ+ community saw as a concerning and threatening development.

After going through several iterations of the slogan, including "We ❤️ the Dolls" and "For the Dolls," Ives picked "Protect the Dolls " as his message. He himself unveiled the shirt at the end of his show during the London Fashion Week on February 23rd.

Which Celebrities Wore The 'Protect The Dolls' T-Shirt?

Following the show, Ives woke up to hundreds of orders for the T-shirt, with more orders coming in as the word spread.

Two months later, multiple celebrities were spotted wearing the shirt with the slogan. Pedro Pascal, whose sister is transgender, wore it on his 50th birthday and later to the Thunderbolts premiere. Designer Haider Ackermann posed with the shirt next to actress Tilda Swinton, who later got one, too.

There have been many more since: singer-songwriter Troye Sivan wore it at Coachella and posted a photo wearing it to his Instagram, dancer and singer Tate McRae, influencer Addison Rae and rapper bbno$ have all been seen sporting the viral T-shirt.

By late April 2025, the shirt became a viral sensation, with thousands of shirts having been sold and new drops disappearing in an instant, while photographs of celebrities wearing the shirt prompted memes and discourse.

Where Can I Get The 'Protect The Dolls' T-Shirt?

The original T-shirt is being sold by Conner Ives through his website, connerives.com at a £75.00 price, which is approximately $100. Nearly 70 percent of the proceeds – everything sans material costs, production and shipping – is donated to the nonprofit community group and support hotline Trans Lifeline.

---

For the full history of "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.