The first doll modeled after a transgender person is here. Standing at 18 inches, the doll will be modeled after Jazz Jennings, and use the genderless plastic mold of most dolls.
Jennings is a 16 year old transgender girl and star of “I am Jazz,” on TLC. The show follows Jennings and her family, chronicling her life as a transgender child, who was assigned male at birth and came out at the age of five.
Jennings is known for being an advocate for the transgender community, and is the author of “I am Jazz,” a children’s book as well as her autobiography, “Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen.”
Tonner Doll Company will be releasing the Jazz doll at the New York Toy Fair, held February 18 to 21. The doll will be available for sale at 25 to 50 retail stores beginning in July. Sales during this test run will determine whether the doll moves on to become available to the mass market.
“Robert Tonner, founder of the company, told the Associated Press that he first saw Jazz on 20/20 when she was six years old and was inspired by her story,” according to Teen Vogue. “Having designed dolls based on superheroes like Spider-Man and Wonder Woman, Tonner wanted to make a doll based on Jazz – a real person who is a source of inspiration for so many others.”
Jennings is excited about the doll, taking to Instagram on February 10 to break the news to over 459,000 of her fans and followers.
“This is the first transgender doll on the market, and guess what?! It’s ME!!!??” Jennings posted on Instagram. “@tonnerdoll did a great job of creating this beautiful item! It will be available in July, and I hope that it can place transgender people in a positive light by showing that we are just like all other people? For those asking: the doll is considered to be the first “transgender” doll because it’s based on an individual who is trans. Of course it is still just a regular girl doll because that’s exactly what I am: a regular girl!?”
