A viral transgender equality T-shirt worn by The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal has raised tens of thousands of dollars for a US-based trans support charity.
Earlier this month, vocal trans ally Pedro Pascal was spotted celebrating his 50th birthday alongside his sister Lux Pascal, who is trans, and trans DJ Honey Dijon.
In one photo from the event, Pascal is spotted posing alongside Dijon donning a T-shirt which reads: “Protect The Dolls”.
“Dolls” is a commonly used term among the LGBTQ+ community to describe transgender women. The term has its roots in Ballroom culture.
Over the weekend, queer “Rush” hitmaker Troye Sivan wore the same T-shirt as he graced the Coachella 2025 stage to join Charli XCX for her set.
French fashion designer Haider Ackermann has also been seen posing in the tee in a photo alongside The Room Next Door actress Tilda Swinton.
It’s American fashion designer Conner Ives who created the T-shirt, which he first wore at the end of his Fall 2025 runway show at London Fashion Week back in February.
Ives has confirmed that all proceeds from the T-shirt, which costs £75 ($99), will go to Trans Lifeline, a US-based and trans-led charity organisation which provides emotional and financial support for trans people.
Trans Lifeline offers support via its crisis hotline, through peer and community support, and microgrants.
Speaking to Vogue, Ives confirmed that so far he has already sold almost 1,100 of the “Protect The Dolls” T-shirts, which – after costs – amounts to roughly $70,000 donated to Trans Lifeline.
Orders are continuing to come in too, bolstered by the support he’s received from celebrities like Pascal and Sivan. Between Sivan donning the tee on stage at Coachella and the following morning, a further 200 copies of the top had sold.
@sophiestgeo WE’RE SO BACK #troyesivan #charlixcx #talktalk #coachella #sweat #fyp @Troye Sivan @Charli XCX
On his website, Ives explains a little more about his decision to donate the proceeds from the T-shirt to Trans Lifeline, writing: “The hotline connects trans people to a wider community, offering support and resources they need to survive and thrive. Given the US Federal government’s current hostility towards trans people, support like this is needed now more than ever.”
Speaking to Vogue, he expanded: “I’ve always very purposely steered away from the concept of fashion as politics or politics as fashion, maybe because fashion is already quite self-serving.
“I always thought that what I had to say was in the looks and in the press release, basically. But there was a shift in the last six months where that level of compartmentalization just didn’t really feel relevant anymore.”
Since Donald Trump reentered the White House back in January, his administration has attempted to introduce a slew of anti-trans executive orders.
These include banning trans people from enrolling in the US military, preventing trans women from playing in competitive sports in categories that align with their gender identity, and threatening to withdraw federal funding from healthcare providers that offer gender-affirming care to under 19-year-olds.
“When I think of the challenges that trans people in the States are facing right now, I just keep thinking about how scared I was when I was a 12-year-old gay white boy in an upper middle class suburb of New York City,” Ives said.
“Let alone a trans girl in the middle of America under an administration that’s basically telling her that she doesn’t exist.”
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