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The Culture Wars Come for Barbie

The increasingly contentious culture wars over gender and sexuality have seeped into the world of doll collecting, and not everyone is happy about it.

Mattel Inc.
Mattel has introduced the first transgender Barbie, based on the actress Laverne Cox. Mattel Inc.
MARBELLA MARLO
MARBELLA MARLO

This weekend, the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago is hosting the 2022 Barbie Doll National Convention, an event expected to feature thousands of collectors, enthusiasts, and industry professionals to mark the doll’s 63rd anniversary. 

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MARBELLA MARLO
MARBELLA MARLO

Ms. Marlo is an incoming junior at Harvard College, where she studies History & Psychology, competes on the Varsity Sailing Team, and writes for the Harvard Independent. She enjoys exploring campus libraries and writing column pieces about her peers, and wants to be a journalist after graduation.

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