Pedro Pascal made a powerful statement in support of transgender women on Tuesday (22 April) just a week after the UK Supreme Court ruled on the definition of a woman.
The Last of Us actor attended the London premiere of the new Marvel blockbuster Thunderbolts* wearing a white T-shirt that featured the message “Protect the Dolls”.
The T-shirt is part of a campaign by designer Conner Ives to show support for trans women around the globe amid widespread efforts to restrict trans rights. Trans women are sometimes affectionately referred to as “dolls” within the LGBT+ community.
Ives debuted the design during London Fashion Week in February 2025 with the t-shirts being made available on his website immediately after the show. All proceeds go towards Trans Lifeline, a charity that delivers vital services to trans people in the US.
Speaking to the New York Times, Ives said the design “was very reactive” adding: “I knew I wanted to say something, given what we’ve observed in the last few months with the US government and the current political regime.”
Pascal, 50, has been a vocal supporter of the trans community since his sister came out as a transgender woman in February 2021. Posting on Instagram, the Mandalorian star shared a picture of his sister on the cover of the Spanish magazine Ya, alongside the phrase: “Mi hermana, mi corazón, nuestra Lux.” The phrase translates into English as: "My sister, my heart, our Lux."
In another Instagram post supporting trans people, shared in February 2025, the Fantastic Four actor wrote: “I can’t think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorising the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist.”
Pascal’s defiant act comes just days after the UK’s Supreme Court handed down a judgment that ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
The ruling follows a series of legal challenges brought by the campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS), backed by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, over the definition of a “woman”.
The decision means that transgender women can no longer sit on public boards in places set aside for women. It could impact the way that trans people use single-sex spaces such as toilets, refuge spaces and hospital wards.
