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

The dolls, named with gender-neutral names such as “Sam,” “Rory,” “Avery,” and “Parker,” include removable internal and external genitalia and over 100 interchangeable clothing, hairstyle, and accessory pieces. These features are designed to facilitate conversations about gender and anatomy, as detailed on the MyGender Dolls website.

Originating from more than six years of research at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, the project has since evolved into a commercial venture called MyGender Dolls. The university’s research reportedly involved sessions where transgender-identifying and other children, along with their parents, were compensated between $20 and $60 to engage with the dolls and discuss gender and anatomy.

Photographs presented at a 2024 conference showed prototype dolls illustrating various stages of gender transition, including removable anatomy and interchangeable clothing.

The venture was founded by Dianne Berg and Nic Rider, both licensed therapists and faculty members at the university. Berg reportedly wrote in a since-deleted 2020 article that the dolls were designed to help children understand that “there’s diversity in gender identity” and described using them with patients aged five to ten.

The Institute for Sexual and Gender Health has a total research budget of approximately $1.4 billion, according to its 2025 annual report. In 2023, Tim Walz, who has supported several transgender-related policies during his administration, received the institute’s inaugural Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Champion Award.

Sources