Overview

• Nandy attended Wigan Pride on August 16 wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with “Protect the dolls” and shared images on social media.
• The slogan traces back to 1980s Black and Latino ballroom culture, where “dolls” referred affectionately to trans women.
• Campaigner James Esses and other critics branded the gesture hypocritical given Nandy’s support for an ongoing ban on puberty blockers for under-18s.
• Other social media users and Pride attendees praised her visible allyship, especially as several UK Pride organizers have barred official party participation.
• The incident has reignited a wider debate over the balance between symbolic solidarity and substantive policy on trans rights within the Labour Party.