Many people in Tennessee claim they bleed orange and white, however few can say that with as much authority as Henry Gertsen.
Born and raised in West Knoxville, Gertsen has attended almost every home football game since 2008, and seen legends like Lady Vols Basketball Coach Pat Summit in action.
But, if there's one thing that can rival Gertsen’s love for the Vols, it’s her love for fashion. So when she had the idea to combine the two, it was a no-brainer.
“I already went to all the football games regularly, I was like, ‘Oh, You know, this will be a fun excuse to make a little fashion show out of each game,’” she said. “So, I just started making outfits for every single game with different styles and things.”
Since then, Gertsen has made a clown costume, a mushroom hat, and a Y2K outfit, all of which are almost exclusively orange and white. Recently, her outfits have gone beyond school spirit and started making statements.
In mid-September, Gertsen posted a video where she debuted a Lady Vols themed outfit she created as a tribute to the late Dolly Parton. In that same video, Gertsen publicly announced that she was coming out as transgender.
Following her announcement, it was discovered by media outlets that President Donald Trump was expected to attend the Volunteers’ game against University of Texas at Neyland Stadium.
“It was shocking news to find out he was coming,” Gertsen said. “But the nerves were immediately overtaken by like, ‘Wait, this is a great opportunity to show support for people like me,’ and because so many people don't even realize that Neyland is a supportive environment.”
Earlier this summer, Gertsen had started to call herself a “Tennessee Doll,” a play on the term that first originated in Black and Latin drag and ballroom scenes in the 1980s. She also created a Vols themed “Protect the Dolls” logo, inspired by t-shirts that designer Conner Ives began selling last year to raise money for Trans Lifeline, a non-profit that offers mental health services to the transgender community.
After the announcement, Gertsen decided to share the design on social media and to her website, where it got over 200 downloads.
“It was awesome to see the response,” she said. “I knew it was gonna be near impossible to make a real dent in 100,000 people stadium with a last minute do-it-yourself shirt drive, but just the fact that so many people supported it.”
For her attire, Gertsen decided to recreate a traditional suffragette outfit. Except her all white uniform came complete with a “protect the dolls” sash, in honor of both the Vols and the transgender community.
“I always say with so many of my outfits like, ‘Oh this is my favorite one yet,’” she said. “But that one's definitely the one I'm most proud of.”
Gertsen isn’t just making an impact online, either. She’s using her love for the Vols to start conversations with those outside the LGBTQ community.
“It seems like every time somebody is maybe doubting me or or how I might be, it's just because they don't know,” she said “They've never met a trans person before, and so when they not only meet a trans person but one who actually has the same love for their team, their school, their area, their city, their state, we can instantly connect.”
Gertsen said she hopes her content and conversations can show people that no matter their differences, there is always a way to find common ground – even if it's between things as different as football and fashion.