The University of Minnesota is facing mounting backlash for its controversial effort to expose young children to gender-transition dolls funded in part by taxpayer dollars. The initiative has left parents stunned, critics furious, and lawmakers demanding accountability.
The driving force behind the effort? Two members of the radical World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Katherine Spencer and Dianne Berg. Both are heavily involved in the university’s National Center for Gender Spectrum Health, a project under the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health.
With more than $87,000 in grant funding, the NCGSH sought “transgender and gender diverse children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old and their parents” to participate in “a hands-on activity to help talk about gender and bodies!”
‘Therapeutic Tools’ or Radical Indoctrination?
As outlined in their recruitment flyer, the initiative invited children and parents to “meet a few times in groups with others to play with and give us ideas about the activities,” offering $20 to $60 per group in compensation.
On its official webpage, the University project described “MyGender Dolls” as “therapeutic tools intended for licensed therapists to use with patients and their parents or caregivers to help children who find it difficult to express themselves.”
However, these dolls crafted by a transvestite activist aren’t your typical toy. They include “internal sex organs, external genitals, hair styles, clothing, and other accessories” that children can interchange to “layer on” and explore their perceived identity.
The university’s promotional video emphasizes this with the line, “There are lots of different ways to be a girl, a boy, or anywhere along the gender spectrum.”
Expanding Beyond the Classroom
To extend the reach of this idea, the University of Minnesota even began development of a MyGender Dolls app, allowing children to interact with doll genitalia and sex organs from the comfort of their homes. According to Alpha News, the app was developed by Rachel Becker-Warner, a self-described “gender care” psychologist, in collaboration with Berg and artist Ashley Finch.
The project’s early design drew guidance from Berg herself, who stressed the significance of anatomical features on the dolls:
“It’s really important to address the belief, ‘I’m not a “real” boy because I don’t have these private parts,’ versus, ‘I am a real boy, whatever my anatomy looks like,’” said Berg. “It’s about helping children develop tools to cope with messages in society that could lead to shame.”
Exploring ‘Future Bodies’ with Kids
Assistant professor Elizabeth Panetta revealed how the dolls are used in educational settings, stating:
“We were able to explore and brainstorm not just what our bodies are able to do now but what we want our bodies to do and look like in the future.” She added, “We also were able to talk about private parts without it feeling too serious or clinical.”
Neither the NCGSH nor the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health responded to Alpha News’ requests for comment.
Critics: ‘This Is Disgusting and Has to Stop’
The reaction across the political and parental landscape has been fierce. Conservative group American Principles issued a blunt warning on X:
“Public universities should not be using YOUR tax dollars to groom children. This is disgusting and has to stop!”
That sentiment was echoed by Libs of TikTok, which declared:
“They want to groom your children. Parents beware!”
Debbie Dooley, a founding member of the Tea Party movement, added,
“This is horrendous trying to brainwash young children with the sick transgender ideology.”
The Science Behind the Controversy
Multiple independent investigations have raised serious doubts about the scientific foundation of these gender transition programs. The Cass Review, along with numerous peer-reviewed studies, found that much of so-called “gender science” lacks credibility-citing “poor study design, inadequate follow-up periods and a lack of objectivity in reporting of results.”
The findings were so concerning that the British government has issued a permanent ban on puberty blockers and reformed how gender-confused youth are treated by health professionals.
In a revealing 242-page report by Environmental Progress, WPATH co-author and NCGSH co-director Dianne Berg acknowledged:
“Adolescents are not mature enough to understand the ruinous effects or lasting impact of medical sex-change hormones.”
Raising Alarms Nationwide
As public pressure builds and investigative scrutiny deepens, many Americans are asking: Why are taxpayer-funded institutions promoting irreversible ideology to impressionable children?
The University of Minnesota may have thought this project would fly under the radar, but parents and watchdogs nationwide are now wide awake.
