Transgender activist has a Barbie doll designed after her

The Emmy winner, actress and LGBTQ rights activist Laverne Cox has become the first transgender person to have a Barbie doll designed after her, at a time when advocates warn that transgender rights are coming under legislative attack in the United States and abroad.

Cox noted the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community — particularly for young transgender people — while promoting the doll on NBC’S “Today” show this week. “I hope all the kids who are feeling stigmatized when their health care is being jeopardized, whose ability to play sports [is curtailed], I hope they can see this Barbie and feel a sense of hope and possibility,” she said.

Cox, whose acting breakthrough came on “Orange Is the New Black,” is one of the Western world’s most prominent transgender activists, and her ability to move “beyond societal expectations to live more authentically” was praised by Barbie maker Mattel. Cox has spoken publicly about her struggles as a Black transgender woman and supported other trans people fighting against restrictive laws.

Tinu Naija, a New York-based Barbie enthusiast, said she ordered the Cox doll — which comes in a crimson corset worn over a gown and a silver jumpsuit — once it was announced. She did not find the doll to be an exact likeness of Cox but called the symbolism “monumental.”

“The inclusion of a transgender personality for kids and adult doll collectors alike is groundbreaking,” Naija said in an interview.“this is bigger than even Laverne Cox herself. This would ripple down many generations to come.”