Mattel Offers Laverne Cox Barbie:

First Transgender Doll in Barbie Signature Collection

By Lori Perkins

I was thrilled to see this announcement in my inbox this morning, and the doll is amazing in her deep oxblood red tulle gown, heeled boots, a sparkling silver metallic bodysuit and silver earrings.

Of course, Mattel is heralding the fact that this is the first transgender Barbie, which they worked on with the actor to celebrate her 50th birthday. Said Cox, “It’s been a dream for years to work with Barbie to create my own doll,” said Cox in a statement. “I can’t wait for fans to find my doll on shelves and have the opportunity to add a Barbie doll modeled after a transgender person to their collection.” She added, “I hope that people can look at this Barbie and dream big like I have in my career.”

Cox told NBC News that a Barbie was an important part of her acceptance of self in therapy. “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,” Cox 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. There’s a little kid that lives inside of you. Give her space to play.’ And I did.”

Cox added that when she told her mother about it, the next Christmas she received a gift. “My mother bought me a Barbie doll. And on my birthday, my mother bought me another Barbie doll. For the next several years, she would always give me Barbies,” Cox said. “Barbie has been a really healing experience for me as an adult and I hope Barbie fans of all ages can find healing and inspiration in this doll,” Cox said.

The release of this doll made me remember giving my 1980’s collector’s edition Bob Macke Cher Barbie to a boy child in the family who loved playing with Barbies and how happy he was to have his own. I can only imagine how this next generation will react to this Barbie.

I hope they are busy working on the Ru Paul Collection next!