According to a report from the New York Post, the dolls were developed through researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School and feature interchangeable clothing, hairstyles and removable internal and external genitalia.

In the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health 2023 annual report (a clinical institute within the University of Minnesota Medical School), it explains, “The concept is similar to classic paper dolls; kids can select bodies, genitals, clothes, and other accessories as a way to visualize their anatomy and genders. The dolls consist of bodies that vary in age, shape, and skin color, so all kids can see themselves represented.”

Although the dolls originated at the university, they have been commercialized as a private venture under the name MyGender Dolls. The university has stated it is not affiliated with the commercial product and that public funds were not used for the commercialization/sales side.

The dolls have been described as “therapeutic” tools to help children discuss gender identity in clinical and educational settings.

Not everyone is buying the sales pitch.

Evangelist Franklin Graham blasted the project on social media, writing, “You can’t ask for a better example of moral depravity than this,” calling the dolls “sick and warped” and dismissing claims that they are intended for “therapeutic play.” He added that “This is the wicked agenda of woke Democrat socialists, targeting your children.”

The controversy has only intensified after conservative education watchdog Defending Education asked the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to investigate whether parents are going to be properly notified and whether the program complies with federal law and recent court rulings on parental rights.

Supporters argue the dolls provide developmentally appropriate resources for children exploring questions about gender identity. Critics counter that preschoolers should be learning their ABCs – not sorting through interchangeable body parts.