Taxpayer-Funded Medical School Develops Transgender Doll Project For Kids As Young As 4

“First-of-their-kind” transgender-identified paper dolls featuring removable genitalia are expected to be introduced in the fall in some Minnesota classrooms for children as young as four years old, according to the University of Minnesota researchers who developed the project.

The dolls, which have gender-neutral names including “Sam,” “Rory,” “Avery,” and “Parker,” include removable internal and external genitalia and more than 100 interchangeable clothing, hairstyle, and accessory pieces designed to facilitate conversations about gender and anatomy.

The project originated at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Health after more than six years of research, the New York Post reported. It has since been spun into a commercial venture, MyGender Dolls. The university’s research reportedly included sessions in which transgender-identifying and other children, along with their parents, were paid between $20 and $60 to play with the dolls and discuss gender and anatomy. In addition, photographs presented during a 2024 conference reportedly showed prototype dolls depicting various stages of gender transition, including removable anatomy and interchangeable clothing.

The venture was founded by Drs. Dianne Berg and Nic Rider, both licensed therapists and faculty members at the university. Rider’s university biography references they/them pronouns and a specialization in transgender health for children and adolescents.

The dolls are intended to help children “learn about the different options that exist for who they can be,” Berg told the New York Post.