Protect the Dolls. And Protect Their Books, Too
In the wake of ongoing federal-level book bans across the US, graphic-first streetwear label Online Ceramics is making benevolent merch with publisher Penguin Random House.
The "Reading Is a Right” collection spans everything from Online Ceramics’ signature tie-dye tops to bumper stickers, collectively calling on consumers to "practice [their] magic,” read banned books, and fight government censorship in the process.
Until mid-July, all net proceeds made from this Online Ceramics collaboration will be given to charity through Penguin, straight into the pockets of the American Library Association's media literacy program.
And, if you're an educator or librarian, you can purchase the collection at a discount.
In what's been a country-wide ambush on marginalized groups, the bans in question have predominantly targeted media featuring LGBTQ+ and POC characters, voices, and themes.
Content even gently referencing anti-authoritarianism, sex, gender identity and equality has also landed certain books on the banned pile.
The list of titles varies per state and entails work old and new, including Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird from 1960, Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale, and 2020's All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson.
Under the purported guise of "protecting children," school libraries have particularly been subjected to mass restrictions and purges.
This flavor of right-wing reactionary action is what inspired Conner Ives to create the newly viral "Protect the Dolls” T-shirt.
At the last time of counting, it has amassed more than a quarter of a million dollars that the designer will be donating to organizations that benefit the trans community.
Willy Chavaria, too, released statement apparel earlier this year, alongside Tinder and the Human Rights Campaign, its sales aiming to promote LGBTQ+ causes.
Last summer, LOEWE backed actor Jonathan Bailey's Shameless Fund with a similarly intentioned slogan tee.
Because clothing has always been communicative, it's a potent and purchasable vehicle for political messaging.
And with the reign of Trump, expansion of anti-trans policies, and rampant TikTok misinformation, there's never been a better time to let your T-shirt do the talking.
