From Online Slogan to Street-Level Action
You may have seen it on Instagram, worn by celebrities like Pedro Pascal: the 'Protect The Dolls' t-shirt. The term 'dolls', born from the iconic American ballroom scene, is an affectionate and powerful term of endearment for transgender people, initially trans women. It’s a statement of solidarity that has resonated globally. But for Amsterdam-based creative producer Willem van Rossum (38), seeing the slogan online wasn't enough.
“I saw the shirt and thought, how important that influential people are wearing this,” Willem shared with Het Parool. “But I also realized this conversation is happening online, in circles where people already agree. I missed that same visibility in the physical environment... here in Amsterdam on the street. That’s where I want to have that conversation.”
Willem’s drive to bring this message into the real world started simply: with stickers. He printed batches of 'Protect The Dolls' stickers and plastered them across the city—on lampposts, in club bathrooms, and on public buildings. This act of guerilla visibility soon caught the eye of Jiske Snoeks, the designer behind the gender-neutral clothing label Nobody Has To Know. A coffee meeting between the two quickly evolved into a full-blown collaboration, expanding the message to 'Protect All The Dolls' and birthing the fashion collection: No Dolls No Future.
Fashion with a Critical Mission
The 'No Dolls No Future' collection is more than just apparel; it’s a lifeline. Launched in October at Club Church, the 12-piece collection—ranging from t-shirts and bomber jackets to necklaces—donates 100% of its proceeds to Don’t Go We Will Fund Them (DGWWFT).
DGWWFT is a vital Dutch citizen-led initiative that provides direct financial support to transgender individuals for gender-affirming surgeries that are not covered by insurance. This support is desperately needed. The Dutch transgender healthcare system is in crisis, with waiting lists for an initial consultation stretching over two years. After that, a lengthy psychological evaluation follows, and then another wait for surgery. For many, essential procedures like facial feminization or certain top surgeries are deemed 'cosmetic' by insurers, leaving individuals to fundraise tens of thousands of euros on their own.
“Many people who are not transgender don’t understand the urgency of these operations,” explains DGWWFT founder Alma Noor. “They don’t understand that for us, this is a necessity. We don’t want to waste years. All the years we waste take their toll mentally.”
Creating a Fairer System
Alma Noor founded DGWWFT three years ago to address the inequities of crowdfunding. “You are very dependent on how many people you know and how many followers you have,” she says. “I want everyone to have an equal chance.”
Many trans people launch campaigns with initial success, only to see donations stall, leaving them emotionally drained and far from their goal. DGWWFT steps in to bridge that gap. In three years, the organization has raised an incredible €89,000 and helped 43 people across the Netherlands achieve their medical goals.
The 'No Dolls No Future' collection has already contributed over €2,000 to this cause, a figure that Willem van Rossum said was beyond his wildest dreams.
A Call for Allies
While the collection is a statement of queer and trans presence, Willem emphasizes that it’s not just for our community. “I sometimes hear from [cisgender, heterosexual] people: ‘beautiful collection, but not for me.’ It’s precisely for you! Our community is struggling; we really need that support.”
This idea is woven into the very fabric of the designs. A hoodie, for example, features a long, dangling ribbon with the slogan, an element Willem describes as intentionally “uncomfortable.”
“It’s a somewhat unusual, uncomfortable design,” he explains. “Just as being queer can sometimes feel unusual and uncomfortable for others.”
This project is a powerful reminder that while we celebrate Pride with parades, the fight for our community's well-being is a year-round struggle. Initiatives like 'No Dolls No Future' and DGWWFT are doing the crucial, on-the-ground work to ensure that every 'doll' not only survives, but has the chance to thrive.
The limited-edition collection runs until the end of this year. This story is based on an article originally published in Het Parool.
