Being a kid in the 21st century is difficult but even more so if they belong to the LGBTQIA+ community. Parents seem to draw their line of acceptance at queerness and that leaves children feeling isolated, dejected and ostracised.
Recently, however, there has been a slow surge of Hollywood celebrities openly supporting their queer children. It’s essential to see these people on various celebrated pedestals raising their queer children with pride. These experiences not only celebrate and normalize their children’s identities but also serve as a learning point for skeptical parents.
Their emphasis of using the correct names and pronouns for their kids highlight the need to create safe spaces for queer children to thrive in, especially within their biological families.
Here are 9 celebrities who are raising their trans/nonbinary children with pride:
1. Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt
Ex-spouses Angelina Jolie and Brad Pritt’s child, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt has been in the news for their fluid gender identity, since they were three years old. From experimenting with clothing styles to haircuts, their parents have been by their side throughout.
In 2014, Brad Pitt announced that their child prefers to be called John. Shortly after, they asked their parents to start using they/them pronouns while referring to them. Both Jolie and Pitt have been outspoken in their support for their eldest biological child and their gender exploration journey.
2. Charlize Theron
While talking to The Daily Mail in 2019, Charlize Theron announced that her adopted child, Jackson, has come out as transgender and identifies as a girl. In another interview with Pride Source in 2019, she spoke out against Jackson being misgendered and said that her daughter’s “feelings were hurt” when people in the media “were still writing about her in the wrong pronouns.”
The Atomic Blonde actor further added, “My job as a parent is to celebrate them (Theron’s daughters) and to love them and to make sure that they have everything they need in order to be what they want to be. And I will do everything in my power for my kids to have that right and to be protected within that.”
3. Jennifer Lopez
While performing at the LA Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala on Thursday (16 June), Jennifer Lopez welcomed her child Emme Maribel Muñiz to duet a song and used they/them pronouns for their introduction. She called them her “favourite duet partner” and addressed the crowd while saying, “The last time we performed together was in a big stadium like this and I ask them to sing with me all the time, and they won’t. So this is a very special occasion.”
In the past, Lopez has been outspoken in her support for her nibling (gender-neutral equivalent of the terms: niece and nephew), Brendan Scholl who is trans-nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.
4. Cher
Chaz Bono, the child of music legends, Cher and the late Sonny Bono, publicly came out as transgender in his 2011 documentary titled Becoming Chaz. He revealed that his legal transition was completed in 2010.
In a 2013 interview with Mirror, Cher opened up about her son’s transition, claiming that not only did her son grow to be more comfortable in his skin but her relationship with him also got stronger after Chaz’s coming out. The Believe singer added, “The loss I thought I was going to feel, I don't feel one iota.”
5. Jamie Lee Curtis
At 63, Jamie Lee Curtis continues to warm several hearts by unabashedly supporting her trans daughter, Ruby. The Everything Everywhere All At Once actor even officiated her daughter’s wedding - in full cosplay! Ever since coming out, Ruby has spoken about the solidarity shown by both her parents (Curtis and writer-actor Christopher Guest).
In an interview with People in 2021, one year after Ruby’s coming out, Curtis shares, “I'm not proselytising, and I'm not trying to force-feed something to people. I'm simply saying, ‘This is our family's experience’. I am here to support Ruby. That is my job.”
Curtis also calls herself a grateful student, focussing on how much she’s learning from Ruby. She adds, “The conversation is ongoing. But I want to know: How can I do this better?”
6. Dwayne Wade
Famous NBA star Dwayne Wade and wife, Gabriel Union, received a shower of love after they openly supported their 12-year-old daughter, Zaya’s coming out as transgender. Talking to Ellen Degeneres on her show, Wade announced, “My wife and I are proud parents of a child from the LGBTQ+ community.”
He further stressed on the importance of parental support during a child’s identity exploration adding, “We’re just trying to figure out as much information as we can to give our child the best opportunity to be her best self.”
7. Cynthia Nixon
On the 14th Annual Trans Day of Action, the Sex And The City actor took to Instagram with a picture of herself and her transgender son, Samuel. She wrote, “I'm so proud of my son Samuel Joseph Moses (called Seph) who graduated college this month,' she wrote. 'I salute him and everyone else marking today’s #TransDayofAction. #TDOA.”
8. Ally Sheedy
The Breakfast Club actor Ally Sheedy opened up about raising a transgender son, Beckett. While addressing the listeners of the We Are Family podcast, she talked at length about the importance of parents giving their children “space to run” when it comes to their identity. She expressed immense love for her son calling him “a beautiful, intelligent person.”
She also stressed on how educating oneself is the biggest step towards acceptance.
“He's not responsible for explaining it to me but at that point, I really thought he was (…) And I'm beginning to understand more now that it's not the responsibility of somebody who is trans to educate those of us who, I guess, occupy a position of privilege in society. I'm learning as we go along here that it’s my responsibility to educate myself.”Ally Sheedy
9. Khary Payton
The Breaking Bad actor penned down a heartfelt message on Instagram, announcing that his then 11-year-old child, Karter, has come out as a transgender boy.
Payton called his son “one of the most happy, well-adjusted individuals” he’s ever known. The actor wrote, “There is nothing more beautiful than watching your child feel the joy of exploring what it means to be true to themselves.”
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