The tribute Barbie is dedicated to transgender activist and actor Laverne Cox.
QUICK FACTS:
- Mattel, creators of the iconic Barbie Doll, is creating a tribute transgender Barbie as part of their Barbie Tribute Collection.
- According to People, the doll will be based on actor Laverne Cox, a transgender activist who was born a man but identifies as a woman.
- Executive Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls at Mattel Lisa McKnight said in a statement, “We are proud to highlight the importance of inclusion and acceptance at every age and to recognize Laverne’s significant impact on culture with a Tribute Collection Barbie.”
MORE FROM TRANSGENDER ACTIVIST:
- “What excites me most about her being out in the world is that trans young people can see her and maybe get to purchase her and play with her, and know that there’s a Barbie made by Mattel, for the first time, in the likeness of a trans person,” Cox said.
- The Emmy award-winning actor talked about his past connection to Barbie: “I begged my mother for a Barbie doll and she said no because I was assigned male at birth,” stated Cox. “And when I was in my 30s, I was in therapy and telling my therapist that I was denied the opportunity to play with Barbie dolls. And my therapist said, ‘It’s never too late to have a happy childhood, and what you should do for your inner child is go out and buy yourself a Barbie doll.'”
- “I played with my Barbie, and I told my mom what my therapist had said. And that first Christmas after that, my mom sent me a Barbie doll,” Cox went on to say. “And she’s been sending me Barbies for Christmas and for my birthday.”
BACKGROUND:
- Laverne, 49, has been active in acting and entertainment for over two decades, rising to prominence for his role as Sophie Burset in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.”
- He has appeared in numerous productions, including “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Mindy Project,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “The Blacklist,” and “Inventing Anna.”
