Transgender dolls, named MyGenderDolls, designed for children aged four to 10 are set to be available to clinicians and educators this fall as part of a program supported by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and developed in part through the University of Minnesota's Early Innovation Fund. The dolls are intended for "gender diverse children ages 4–10," according to their product website.
The dolls include interchangeable accessories and swappable genitalia, which developers state are intended to help children "realize all the different options that exist for who they can be — regardless of their body parts." The project originated as a research program within the University of Minnesota Medical School's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Faculty members Dianne Berg, PhD, and G. Nic Rider, PhD, spearheaded the initiative.
According to a now-deleted article from the University of Minnesota Foundation's magazine, Berg stated the dolls aim to address beliefs that might lead to shame, such as "I’m not a 'real' boy because I don’t have these private parts,” versus, ‘I am a real boy, whatever my anatomy looks like.’" She added that the dolls are about "helping children develop tools to cope with messages in society that could lead to shame."
Another description from the University of Minnesota's Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, also deleted, noted that the dolls were conceptualized by psychologist Rachel Becker-Warner, PsyD, and developed by Berg and communications specialist Ashley Finch. This summary described the MyGender Dolls as a therapeutic tool for transgender and gender-diverse children, with a design similar to classic paper dolls where children can select bodies, genitals, and clothing to visualize their anatomy and gender identities.
The development of MyGenderDolls is cited as one of multiple state-funded, pro-transgender initiatives under Gov. Walz's administration. In 2023, the University of Minnesota's Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health presented Walz with the Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Champion Award for his work on protecting sexual and reproductive health care and gender-affirming health care in Minnesota. Rider, a co-creator of the MyGenderDolls, was among the faculty members who presented the award.