There’s been a bit of a catchphrase that certain allies use to signal their support: “Protect the dolls.” Apparently “doll” was once used to refer to trans women, which is all fine and dandy for people that like it. However, it is not a term I knew about before the catchphrase, nor is it one I particularly like. It comes off as kinda icky and objectifying to me.
Dolls are plastic facsimiles of “real” girls that are used as a child’s plaything. Definitely grosses me out when people use it as a phrase specifically for trans women. It’s a term that needlessly others us. Just call us women, if the situation calls for specifying that we’re trans call us trans women.
I don’t really mind if it’s being used as a term of endearment between women, but I’m not a fan of it coming from men or being used as a trans-specific term.
I’m only familiar with ‘doll’ in the crime noir sense. While it has very misogynist connotations, I don’t see it as being among the worst.
Point being, I know I’m missing something, but don’t know what.
There’s been a bit of a catchphrase that certain allies use to signal their support: “Protect the dolls.” Apparently “doll” was once used to refer to trans women, which is all fine and dandy for people that like it. However, it is not a term I knew about before the catchphrase, nor is it one I particularly like. It comes off as kinda icky and objectifying to me.
Dolls are plastic facsimiles of “real” girls that are used as a child’s plaything. Definitely grosses me out when people use it as a phrase specifically for trans women. It’s a term that needlessly others us. Just call us women, if the situation calls for specifying that we’re trans call us trans women.
I don’t really mind if it’s being used as a term of endearment between women, but I’m not a fan of it coming from men or being used as a trans-specific term.
It sounds like a category alongside Marthas, Wives, and Handmaids.
It infers they are fake, not a real woman, just a facsimile of one.
It’s also pretty infantilizing. Dolls are a child’s plaything, the implication is that we’re just dressing up and playing make believe.