From Charlize Theron to Sade, Celebrity Parents Are Loudly Supporting Their Trans and Nonbinary Kids

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Republican lawmakers in the United States have spent the last several years targeting transgender youth, denying them healthcare, kicking them off school sports teams, and forcing teachers to out them. But no matter how hard they try, the truth is that trans kids are everywhere, from Kansas classrooms to Malibu beach homes. Indeed, some trans and nonbinary kids happen to have pretty famous parents — and fortunately, many of them are models for how to support LGBTQ+ youth. Right-wing commentators might try to frame these families as symbols of “Hollywood’s corrupting influence,” or whatever else they say in their hate-fueled rants, but it’s simple statistics: If 300,000 youth in the U.S. identify as trans, some of them are going to have moms who starred in Alien.

Celebrities in and of themselves are not the solution to the terrifying wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills sweeping the nation, but it’s always heartening to see people use large platforms to advocate for the community while exhibiting unconditional love and acceptance for their kids. At a time when brands and corporations are getting skittish about showing too much support for queer and trans people for fear of bigoted backlash, the public figures on this list are showing that this isn’t some abstract political issue; it’s a deeply personal one that literally hits home. We can only hope that more people will take cues from these celebrities, who are steadfast supporters of their trans and nonbinary kids during a turbulent time.

Ally Sheedy

Ally Sheedy has “learned a lot” from her trans son Beckett, who came out in his teens.

“Beck doesn’t hide anything,” the Breakfast Club actress told People in 2022. “And I feel very comfortable talking to anyone whose kid is just beginning the process of transition. Parents need to educate themselves.”

“I want him to be able to do whatever he wants to do with his life and have the freedom to make his choices and surround himself with a loving, supportive community,” Sheedy added. “So far, he’s been able to do that.”

Sheedy, who recently appeared in Freeform’s Single Drunk Female, has been involved with PFLAG, an advocacy group that supports LGBTQ+ families. She appeared at the organization’s virtual Mother’s Day brunch in 2020 and shared a photo of herself and Beckett with PFLAG to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in 2018.

Annette Bening and Warren Beatty

Annette Bening and Warren Beatty’s eldest child, Stephen Ira, came out as a trans man at age 20 back in 2012. Since then, the two actors have given their son, who is a writer, sweet shout-outs in several interviews.

“[Stephen is] a revolutionary, a genius, and my hero, as are all my children,” Beatty told Vanity Fair in 2016. Meanwhile, Bening praised her “incredibly brilliant” son while speaking to the Hollywood Reporter in 2023.

“Stephen has always been a highly literary person,” she said. “I just read his latest poem that was published; wow, it is so extraordinary. I’m so proud of him… He’s someone I do admire, and I’ve learned a lot.”

Stephen Ira is currently working as a poet, filmmaker, and teacher, with bylines in the Paris Review, Fence, DIAGRAM, and more.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron largely shields her two daughters, Jackson and August, from the press. However, she has publicly registered vocal support for Jackson, who came out as trans at a young age.

“She looked at me when she was three years old and said: ‘I am not a boy! So there you go!’” the Old Guard star said during a 2019 interview with the Daily Mail. “I have two beautiful daughters, who, just like any parent, I want to protect and I want to see thrive. They were born who they are and exactly where in the world both of them get to find themselves as they grow up, and who they want to be, is not for me to decide.”

Later that year, Theron explained to Pride Source that, while “my daughter’s story is really her story,” she felt responsible for ensuring that the world used the correct pronouns for her.

“I think it became harder for us the older she got, that people were still writing about her in the wrong pronouns, and also I was still talking about her in the press using the wrong pronoun,” she said. “It really hurt her feelings. I don’t want to be that mom… I haven’t really talked about [Jackson being trans] ever since, again, because outside of just asking that respectfully of the press — and the world, hopefully — the rest is really private and it’s her story, and it’s really up to her to decide if she wants to share that.”

Cher

Iconic performer Cher’s son Chaz Bono is one of the most high-profile trans children of celebrities out there, from appearing with his parents on The Sonny & Cher Show as a child to documenting his transition in the Emmy-nominated 2011 documentary Becoming Chaz. The child of two A-listers, Bono came out in 2009, long before there was much mainstream consciousness around trans issues.

During a 2020 interview with the Today Show, Cher said that while she initially struggled with Bono’s transition, “Chaz is so happy, so unbelievably happy, and I don’t know what the people’s problems are.”

“I talk to people on Twitter, or people who come up to me, and I just say, ‘You know, just relax, and you guys will get through it, you’ll get through it together,’” she added.

Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath

Colin Mochrie isn’t just a beloved comedian who has performed on Whose Line Is It Anyway? for nearly three decades. He’s also the dedicated father to his trans daughter Kinley, whom he often shouts out on social media — and who he has fiercely defended from transphobic trolling.

“This is my child, the exact same person, with a new coat,” Mochrie told ET Canada in an interview. “All you want when you have a child is for them to be safe, to be happy, and to be better than you.”

Mochrie’s wife Debra McGrath is an accomplished actress and comedian in her own right, beginning her career in Toronto’s Second City. In 2021, McGrath wrote an essay about the lessons she has learned from Kinley for Reader’s Digest Canada, sharing, “After really analyzing my reaction and my feelings, it came down to one thing. I was fine with my child’s transition. I wasn’t invested in her gender, just her humanity.”

Cynthia Nixon

Openly queer Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon is the proud parent of a trans son, Samuel “Seph” Mozes. In 2018, the actress paid tribute to Seph in an Instagram post marking Trans Day of Action.

“I’m so proud of my son Samuel Joseph Mozes (called Seph) who graduated college this month,” she wrote in the caption. “I salute him and everyone else marking today’s #TransDayofAction.”

During a May 2020 appearance on the podcast Homo Sapiens, Nixon shared that although she made some initial stumbles with her son’s “pronoun transition,” she fully stands behind him.

“You can make all the arguments you want,” she said. “But the fact is, as a parent, as a human, you should listen to what people tell you about themselves.”

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union-Wade

NBA star Dwyane Wade and actor Gabrielle Union-Wade have been vocal advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and trans rights, standing by their trans daughter Zaya Wade since she came out in 2020.

“Zaya, you’ve made me a better human just by being who you were born to be: our baby girl, Zaya Wade,” Dwayne Wade said as he and Gabrielle accepted the President’s Award at 2023’s NAACP Image Awards. “So baby, thank you for showing the world what courage looks like. I’m proud that I was chosen to stand in place as your father.”

In a March 2022 interview with Buzzfeed, Gabrielle Union-Wade said that she and her husband didn’t understand why their support of Zaya was met with criticism, because “we love all our kids out loud.”

“It is our job to be loving, compassionate, protective guides for our children, but their lives are their lives and we have to respect that,” the Bring It On star added. “We do not believe in any kind of shaming for existing.”

Heather Dubrow

In 2023, Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow marked International Sons Day by sharing a love letter to her trans son Ace on Instagram.

“Our job as parents is to give our kids a safe and supportive environment so they can grow up as healthy, happy, confident, independent humans,” she wrote. “Since Ace is a 12 year old child, with a long life ahead of him — we will let him tell his own story someday if he chooses to. All we can say is Ace, we love you so much and we are proud to be your parents.”

Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest

As the high-profile mother of a trans daughter, Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis has become a vocal advocate for the trans community. In March 2022, the Halloween star wished her daughter, Ruby, a happy birthday on Instagram and called for the protection of trans rights in the United States.

“I am proud and grateful to be the parent of a trans child and am sending support to all of the trans families across the US who are being targeted in this moment by conservative legislatures,” she wrote. “[...] I VOW to use my freedom of speech and my right to vote to SUPPORT my child and ALL children trying to live FREELY as who they are.”

In adorable news, Curtis also officiated Ruby’s wedding in World of Warcraft cosplay. (Ruby was dressed as a character from the video game Skullgirls and her wife Kynthia was a Guilty Gear character.) Ruby, in turn, has expressed gratitude for her parents’ support. In addition to having Curtis as a mom, her father is This Is Spinal Tap writer Christopher Guest.

“It was scary — just the sheer fact of telling them something about me they didn’t know,” Ruby told People of her coming-out journey. “It was intimidating — but I wasn’t worried. They had been so accepting of me my entire life.”

Marcia Gay Harden

As the mother of not one but three queer and trans kids, Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden is an outspoken proponent for LGBTQ+ rights.

“What drives me is because it’s right and what’s happening right now is wrong,” she said at the 2023 Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon, per the Advocate. “What drives me is my children are all queer. My eldest child is nonbinary. My son is gay. My youngest is fluid. And you know, they are my kids and they teach me every day.”

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts is a steadfast supporter of her trans daughter Kai, who features on her Instagram account. In December 2023, the Feud star wished Kai a happy birthday in a post, writing, “Happy birthday my sweet little angel. You are everything to me. I’m so lucky be your mum. Keep dancing and showing the world your dynamic and glorious spirit.”

Kai is one of two children Watts shares with ex-boyfriend Liev Schrieber, who also celebrated Kai’s 15th birthday on Instagram.

Sade

Although singer Sade largely keeps her personal life private, the British singer is mother to 27-year-old trans son Izaak Theo Adu, who thanked her for supporting his transition in a 2019 Instagram post.

“Thank you for staying by my side these past 6 months Mumma,” Adu wrote alongside a photo of him embracing Sade at a restaurant. “Thank you for fighting with me to complete the man I am. Thank you for your encouragement when things are hard, for the love you give me. The purest heart.”

“I love you so much,” he added. “Queen of queens.”

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver gushed about her nonbinary child, Char, in a 2023 interview with the Sunday Times.

“They are nonbinary,” the actress said. “They teach at Columbia, digital storytelling, bots, misinformation, they are someone who is excited about AI and not frightened about it.”

Weaver noted that Char is “not at all” interested in Hollywood, despite their mother having starred in some of the biggest film franchises of all time, from Alien to Avatar.

“That made my husband and me very happy,” Weaver said of Char’s choice to stay out of the industry, adding that being a mom is “absolutely the most important thing” in her life.

Sting and Trudie Styler

Sting and British filmmaker Trudie Styler’s nonbinary child, Eliot Sumner, recently made headlines for their role as Freddie Miles in the hit Netflix drama Ripley. Sumner first opened up about their gender identity in a 2015 interview with Evening Standard, explaining that they don’t identify with one particular gender and never felt the need to come out to their loved ones.

“No one ever asked,” they said. “They knew already. So I didn’t need to. I’ve never come out to anyone. My friends always knew and I always knew.”

While they’re largely private about their family life, the musician and actor opened up about their relationship with their rock-star dad during a 2016 interview with The Cut, whom they recently beat in a chess game.

“He was destroyed,” Sumner said at the time. “But I think he was quite proud because he was like, ‘Well, I’ve created something that’s stronger than me intellectually.’”

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