By Emma Jane Cooke
In a time where Transgender Rights and Transgender Identity is currently being erased in the US, what we wear and what it represents is now more influential than ever.
Protect The Dolls by Conor Ives (left), The T in CMAT stands for Trans Rights by Mia Maxwell (right).
While focusing on slogan tees, the issue of ‘Slactivism’ comes into play. This is when there is evidence of protest and activism yet there is no substance to the purpose. However, the drop and timing of these tees comes at a time where any form of activism towards LGBTQ+ rights is loud and impactful, given the current climate.
This slogan tee representation began in February, by Conor Ives who debuted a once product. The plain white tee with the words ‘Protect The Dolls’ caused waves of attraction among social media. The term ‘dolls’ is used to refer to trans women in the LGBTQ community. Public figures such as Troye Sivan and Pedro Pascal were photographed wearing the t-shirt which also drove attraction to the simplistic but impactful design.
The t-shirt was designed in resistance to the Equality Act by the supreme court that erased the identity of trans women by stating that only biological women could be classed as women. The t-shirt later went on sale for £75 with all the proceeds going to Trans Lifeline.
The creation and purpose of this t-shirt acted as a recognisable response to the anti-trans policies put in place by Trump, reigniting the conversations around fashion and politics. It proves that fashion can indeed be a powerful form of protest and how