Labour minister Lisa Nandy has been slammed for wearing a “protect the Dolls” t-shirt amid criticism of the government’s record on trans issues in office. The culture, media and sport secretary wore the shirt at Wigan Pride on Saturday (16 August). The slogan ‘Protect the dolls’ is an informal term used to promote the demand to protect trans rights. Its origins date back to the ballroom culture of Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities of the 80s, where the word “doll” was used to refer to trans women. Nandy, who has been Wigan’s MP since 2010, shared pictures of herself marching, writing on Facebook that she had a “fantastic time” and was “proud to live in such a welcoming, inclusive town”. Despite the display, Nandy supported Labour’s decision to indefinitely extend a ban on puberty blockers ban for trans people under the age of 18, describing it as the right approach, despite some research showing that it had caused extensive “emotional distress” to trans youngsters. She has also s...