Lana and Lilly Wachowski Auction Off “Magical Artifacts” from ‘The Matrix’ and More to Support Trans Youth

The creators of The Matrix, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, are using the power of their hit film franchise for good. The sisters are raising money for the Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, which collects money for organizations helping and advocating for trans youth, CNN reports. Lana and Lilly are auctioning off over 180 props from their films, including The Matrix Revolutions, V for Vendetta and Speed Racer, and the series Sense8.

Lilly announced the auction on Twitter, where she wrote Saturday, “hi youse! so me and Lana have been doing some spring cleaning at our Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse and have happily decided to pass on some of the best treasures we’ve been collecting over the years!! no ark of the covenants but some pretty major and magical artifacts!”

In a separate tweet, she encouraged her followers to “buy some cool sh*t and stand the f*ck up for trans lives!” by participating in the auction. Some of the items up for auction include a helmet from Cloud Atlas, a lightning rifle prop from The Matrix and Lilly’s MTV Movie Award for Best Director, which she received in 2000 for The Matrix. The live auction has not yet begun, but absentee bids are currently being accepted. The auction officially starts May 12.

The Matrix was released in 1999, before either Lilly or Lana came out as trans. In a 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lilly — who came out in 2016 — said she was grateful fans could view her films “through the lens of my transness and their transness.”

“Now that I’m out and a living example of someone who can grow old being a trans woman, [trans people] can see those films through the lens of my transness and their transness,” she said. “They’re able to go, ‘Oh my God, these films were such an important part of my coming out and my own journey.’ I’m extraordinarily grateful that I could offer that to people.”

The Wachowski sisters’ auction comes amidst a trend of anti-trans legislation in multiple states this year, including Florida, Idaho, Louisiana and Missouri. The Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund — the fundraiser receiving all proceeds from the Wachowski sisters’ auction — was organized by Ariana Grande, who will match all donations up to $1,500,000.

Grande’s fundraiser is donating to dozens of organizations, including Transgender Education Network Of Texas (TENT), Tennessee Equality Project, Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, Equality Florida and more.