Mattel Honours Actor Laverne Cox, Releases First Transgender Barbie Doll

Mattel, the toy company that owns Barbie, has launched its first transgender doll as a tribute to Orange Is the New Black actor Laverne Cox. The Emmy winner is one of the most prominent transgender activists in the US.

The Barbie Tribute Collection Laverne Cox Doll was released on Wednesday. It is being sold on Amazon, Walmart, Target and MattelCreations.com for $40.

On its website, Mattel described Cox as “the first transgender woman of color to have a leading role on a scripted TV show”, releasing the doll ahead of the actor's 50th birthday.

“She wears a triple-threat original design, featuring a deep red tulle gown gracefully draped over a dazzling, silver metallic bodysuit. Her hair is swept into glamorous Hollywood waves while dramatic makeup completes her look,” according to the product description on Mattel's website.

Tinu Naija, a New York-based Barbie enthusiast, is among those who ordered the doll after its release.

“The inclusion of a transgender personality for kids and adult doll collectors alike is groundbreaking,” Naija said in an interview, according to Washington Post. “This is bigger than even Laverne Cox herself. This would ripple down many generations to come.”

This comes weeks after Mattel announce a new and “diverse” collection of Barbie dolls, which will include the very first Barbie with behind-the-ear hearing aids, a doll with a prosthetic leg and a Ken doll with the skin condition vitiligo

The 2022's Fashionista lineup - to be officially released in June - will help kids “see themselves reflected,” Mattel's Global Head of Barbie Dolls Lisa McKnight said in a statement.

Ms Mcknight added that children should be encouraged to play with dolls that don't resemble them to help them “understand and celebrate the importance of inclusion.”