By Marisa Laudadio
3:33am PDT, May 1, 2025
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Airyn De Niro — one of Robert De Niro's
seven children — made her public debut at 29 in April 2025.
"Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success… I'm like, you know what? Maybe it's not too late for me. Maybe I can start," she told
Them of launching her transition with hormone therapy in November 2024.
Her famous father released a statement to
Deadline sharing his support: "I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don't know what the big deal is. … I love all my children," he said.
The Oscar winner and then-long-term partner Toukie Smith welcomed Airyn and her twin brother, Julian, via surrogate in 1995.
Keep reading for more stars with kids in the LGBTQ+ community…MORE:
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On the Dec. 31, 2020, episode of her "Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best" podcast, actress Busy Philipps for the first time publicly discussed the sexual and gender identities of her eldest child with screenwriter Marc Silverstein,
People magazine reported.
"For those of you who are my friends listening at home, this is the first you're hearing that Birdie is gay and out," the "Freaks & Geeks" actress shared, adding that Birdie, who was 12 at the time, "told us at 10 years old and we immediately… I mean obviously, I knew that Birdie knew."
Busy later on the podcast said that when it comes to gender identity, Birdie — who gave her mom permission to speak on the subject — preferred to use the pronouns they/them. "I f*** up sometimes, but I'm trying my best…," Busy said of getting her child's pronouns right.
On Nov. 30, 2023, Busy shared with Page Six that Birdie, who was 15 at the time, had re-adopted her previous pronouns. "The truth is Birdie has decided that her pronouns are she/her," Busy explained, adding that Birdie's reversal is "what's so incredible about what gender-affirming care can be. That you allow kids to figure out who they are."
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Marlon Wayans first publicly supported his eldest child in an Instagram post in June 2019. "Happy pride to my pride and joy," he captioned a photo of his kid rocking rainbow sneakers. "I wouldn't change one thing about you. Love you to the moon, around the sun, through the galaxies and back again."During a November 2023 appearance on "The Breakfast Show," Marlon shared more about his trans son Kai (left) — whose mom is the actor-writer's ex, Angela Zackery. According to the
New York Post, the "Scary Movie" franchise star
— who also shares son Shawn Wayans (right) with Angela —
called out his own personal transition "as a parent going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance."
Marlon said he sometimes uses the wrong pronouns but Kai knows he's doing his best. "They know I love them. They see me try and they're like, 'I'm happy.' … I gotta respect their wishes." He said he's "just so proud of them for being them."
Ultimately, he explained, "As a parent I just want my kids to be free — free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves. The more you know yourself, the more you can govern yourself, the more you live your truth, the happier your existence. So if they can't get that in a household with their father and their mother, how the f*** do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence?"
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"Beverly Hills, 90210" star Brian Austin Green's eldest child is actor Kassius Marcil-Green, his son with "General Hospital" alum Vanessa Marcil. Kassius, who's openly gay, has long had support from both his mother and his father.
Brian (seen here with Kassius at an animal charity event in 2022) spoke about his take on his son's sexuality during an October 2023 appearance on the "Frosted Tips with Lance Bass" podcast.
"I would get into these conversations with Kash where it was like I really wanted to understand the things that seemed so different to me at first," Brian explained.
"And then you realize, 'Oh, this isn't different at all.' It's just your choice of partner. It doesn't affect me at all," he added. "And that's the thing I'm always trying to beat into people now — it does not affect you. Why do you care so much? And why are you trying to somehow bully your feelings and your opinion into something that literally does not affect you at all?"
Brian is also a father to three boys with his ex-wife Megan Fox and one son with his fiancée, former "Dancing With the Stars" pro Sharna Burgess.
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Oscar- and Tony-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden is a mother of three with ex-husband Thaddaeus Scheel. In May 2023, she shared that all three of her kids identify as queer. She opened up about her kids during the "Drag Isn't Dangerous: A Digital Fundraiser" live telethon, explaining, "What drives me is because it's right, and what's happening right now is wrong. What drives me is — my children are all queer. My eldest child is non-binary. My son is gay. My youngest is fluid. And you know, they are my kids, and they teach me every day."
Eldest Eulala, an artist, graduated from Bennington College in 2020 while twins Julitta and Hudson (seen here) are in their late teens. Hudson attends the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Page Six reported. Marcia publicly revealed he's gay in 2018 shortly before his 14th birthday. After attending the Family Equality Council's Impact Awards — the nonprofit advocates for LGBTQ clans by fostering a sense of community and driving policy change — she told Us Weekly that "the cause is dear to me," explaining, "my son is gay. I just want to make sure he gets to have a family when he wants one."
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One of Elon Musk's eldest children publicly revealed in an April 2022 court filing that she's transgender.
TMZ reported that Xavier Musk filed documents in Los Angeles County three days after turning 18 in April seeking to change her legal name to Vivian Jenna Wilson and her legal gender to female. A judge granted the request in June 2022. Vivian's new last name is a nod to mom Justine Wilson, who was married to Elon from 2000 to 2008 (they share four other children; Elon also has several younger children)
. Court documents revealed a rift between the SpaceX and Tesla CEO and his trans daughter: Vivian stated that her reason for wanting a name change boiled down to "Gender Identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form." Mom Justine took to Twitter in June to voice her support, sharing this conversation she had with her child: "'I had a weird childhood,' my 18 year old said to me. 'I can't believe I'm as normal-seeming as I am.' I said, 'I'm very proud of you.' 'I'm proud of myself!'"
TMZ pointed out that in December 2020, Elon tweeted claiming he supports the trans community but added, "All these pronouns are an esthetic nightmare." He's since adopted a harsher perspective on trans people.
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In March 2022, "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Heather Dubrow took to Instagram to share that the youngest of her four children with plastic surgeon and "Botched" star Terry Dubrow is transgender. "It's International sons day! We love you, our youngest son, Ace," Heather captioned a photo of Ace's name written in sand. "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. 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 do so. All we can say is Ace, we love you so much and we are proud to be your parents. Your brother and sisters love and support you too." (Ace is pictured in the center of this 2022 Dubrow family holiday photo.)
Before sharing Ace's gender identity news, Heather and Terry previously publicly opened up about two of their older kids' sexual identities…
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Two years after her eldest daughter, Max, announced that she's bisexual (read more on the next slide), another of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Heather Dubrow's children came out. Her second daughter, Katarina, who goes by Kat (seen here on the far left), is a lesbian. Heather shared the news with
People magazine in February 2022, explaining that Kat had been "talking about her sexuality for a while" and eventually shared her news via a family group text, writing, "By the way, I'm a lesbian." Kat shared that she "was really stressed" about opening up about her sexual identity on a season 16 episode of her mom's Bravo reality show but also felt "really grateful that I have Max as an older sister, that she has already gone through all of this. Seeing my sister be so proud, and to see her be so comfortable with herself, it just makes me feel like I have nothing to worry about."
Heather and her husband, plastic surgeon and "Botched" star Terry Dubrow, have both been supportive. Heather explained that she's tried to create "an environment where they all felt safe, comfortable, happy," while Terry added, "Coming out with your sexuality is something that broadly affects a lot of different people. We just want people to realize it should be part of normal conversations."
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On June 30, 2020 — the last day of Pride Month — one of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Heather Dubrow's four kids, then-16-year-old daughter Max (center, with blue hair), publicly came out about her sexuality via an Instagram post. "i always knew i was bi, i just thought it was bipolar," she captioned two Instagram photos of herself wrapped in a rainbow flag. Heather, who's married to "Botched" star Dr. Terry Dubrow, reposted Max's declaration with a message of support and a slew of rainbow flag emojis, writing, "I love you my beautiful, hilarious, amazing child! I am SO proud to be your Mother!"
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More than three years after retired NBA star Dwyane Wade's child came out as trans, she's been granted a legal name and gender change. On Feb. 24, 2023, a Los Angeles County judge approved a new legal identity for Dwyane's daughter with ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade: The 15-year-old is now legally female and has a new official name — Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade — TMZ confirmed. Dwyane first petitioned the court to make the change in August 2022. Months later, Zaya's mother tried to legally block the move until Zaya was 18, accusing her ex of positioning himself "to profit from the minor child's name and gender change with various companies through contacts and marketing opportunities." It appears a judge sided with Dwyane and Zaya.
Dwyane and his second wife, actress Gabrielle Union, have fully supported Zaya's transition for years now. More on that next…
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Dwyane Wade publicly shared his support for one of his children, Zaya Wade, after wife Gabrielle Union took her stepchild to the annual Miami Beach Pride festival on April 7, 2019. (Zaya's mom is Dwyane's first wife, Siohvaughn Funches-Wade.) "We support each other with Pride," Dwyane — who was upset he couldn't be there because he had a game out of town — wrote on his Instagram Story at the time.
In February 2020, Dwyane shared more during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," explaining that Zaya, who was born in 2007, changed pronouns: "[Zaya] came home and said, 'Hey, I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward I'm ready to live my truth. I want to be referenced as she and her, I would love for you guys to call me Zaya.'" Earlier in the show, Dwyane shared his unwavering support for his daughter: "Me and my wife Gabrielle Union are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community. And we are proud allies as well," he said.
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On Oct. 25, 2022, former "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Alexis Bellino took to Instagram to share this selfie taken with one of her three children with ex-husband Jim Bellino — transgender son Miles — and to lovingly support his decision to come out publicly. "Miles now has a voice and has asked me to do this post," Alexis explained in her post, adding that Miles, who was 15 at the time, had grown "tired of the misgendering and confusion people have, so we are setting the record straight and hopefully bringing clarity." Alexis shared that she's "extremely proud of him" and wants her followers to know that she has "unconditional love" for her son.
"Miles came out as a transgender boy to me over 16 months ago. He hid it from everyone else for a while, but eventually he got to where we are right now. TO HIS FREEDOM! My son has now flourished!! My son now smiles naturally for the first time in years! My son now loves the clothes he wears. My son can breathe knowing he can be his true self," she continued in her lengthy post, later adding, "I'm so proud of Miles for wanting to stop the hate, and for being brave enough to step forward … he now has his entire life to live the way he should. … I am 100% fully supportive of my son. I hope you will be too."
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On June 28, 2022, the only child of "Sister Wives" stars Meri Brown and Kody Brown came out as transgender. "Someone recently told me that i didn't have to have all of my s*** figured out in order for me to share myself with the world. so here's me, definitely not having almost any of my s*** figured out, to let you know that i am trans. my name is Leon or Leo (i love both) and my pronouns are they/them," the sometime reality TV star wrote on Instagram. "I remember the first time that i knew i wasn't a girl. i was pretty young & unfortunately i grew up in a context that was incredibly gendered & restrictive. so i continued to be socialized as a girl & later a woman. and here's the thing, i'm finally ready to share my favorite self with the world. and that self is incredibly genderqueer, trans, and unapologetic," they continued. "Being queer & trans are definitely some of my favorite parts of myself. and yet, there are so many things that i am learning to love about myself through this process. here's to me getting to know myself, share myself, and continually evolve to be the person i am, to be my favorite self in all contexts." Leon concluded their post, "I'm sharing this part of myself to let folks in, and also to set some boundaries. if you choose to not use my correct name or pronouns, then you do not need to speak to or about me. my name is Leo or Leon, and my pronouns are they/them. please only refer to me in that way." Mom Meri shared Leon's post to her own Instagram Story later the same day, adding the comment, "You are my sunshine." Kody, who has 17 other children with three other women with whom he practices plural marriage, has not yet commented publicly.
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Judge Greg Mathis Sr.'s eldest son, Greg Mathis Jr., is gay. Father and son discuss Greg Jr.'s coming out journey on the first season of E!'s "Mathis Family Matters, which airs in the summer of 2022. "Greg and I had an [on-screen] discussion about him not sharing his sexuality or being gay with the general public, his friends and others," the "Judge Mathis" star told E! News. "I thought he had because he shared it with us at age 18 and moved to Washington, D.C., and has been there for over a decade and that's a gay-friendly town. So I was shocked that he hadn't, and there are moments there that are very emotional in the sense that I let him know that he has to fight." On season 1 of their new reality show, Greg Jr. opens up about his reasons for not publicly coming out when he was younger and how "vulnerable" he felt opening up about it on national television. "It really does chronicle not just my coming out process to the world, but also my boyfriend's," he said, referring to longtime love Elliott Cooper. Father and son are hopeful that their discussions on "Mathis Family Matters" might help others who "may be going through something similar and help them as they navigate that process in their own way," Gregg Jr. added.
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On June 16, 2022, Jennifer Lopez took the stage at the LADF Blue Diamond Gala at Dodger Stadium to perform and at one point, she introduced a special guest — Emme Muñiz, one of the twins she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony — using gender-neutral pronouns. "The last time we performed together was in a big stadium like this," J.Lo began, referencing her 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, where Emme joined her on stage. "I ask them to sing with me all the time, but they won't. So this is a very special occasion. They are very, very busy. Booked. And pricey! It costs me when they come out," J.Lo quipped. "But they're worth every single penny because they're my favorite duet partner of all time. So if you will indulge me…" she said before Emme began singing Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" while holding a bedazzled rainbow microphone. (A fan captured the moment on TikTok.)
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When Charlize Theron adopted her first child, Jackson, in 2012, she introduced her baby to the world as a boy. "I thought she was a boy too," Charlize told the Daily Mail in April 2019, "until she looked at me when she was 3 years old and said, 'I am not a boy!'" Charlize is also a mom to daughter August, whom she adopted in 2015. "So there you go! 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," she added. "My job as a parent is to celebrate them 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." In the weeks that followed, the South African actress continued to publicly support Jackson's gender identity, stating on Graham Norton's U.K. talk show that she is "raising two beautiful, proud black African girls." Days later, Charlize used the pronoun "she" while talking about her older child on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon."
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NBA legend-turned-businessman Magic Johnson and wife Cookie have always supported their son, reality TV star EJ Johnson, who was publicly outed as a gay man in 2013. "I think it's all about you not trying to decide what your daughter or son should be, or what you want them to become. It's all about loving them no matter who they are, what they decide to do. And when my son came out, I was so happy for him, and happy for us as parents — and we love him, and EJ is amazing," Magic said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2017. "So you've got to support your child because there are so many people who try to discriminate against them, so they need you to support them. Because if you don't support them, who is going to support them and love them?"
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Ally Sheedy's only child with actor ex-husband David Lansbury, Beckett Lansbury, graduated from Bard College in 2016 (seen here) before going on to get a master's in biology there; he now works in the college's Office of Gender Equity and as a teacher. Beckett is also a transgender activist. "He had been identifying as gender queer and gender fluid and now he was saying he really feels that he identifies with being male and that the hormones were going to help him on his journey. I just got, I didn't have a judgment call on Beck himself, I was just afraid. I was really afraid of the whole [transition] process," Ally explained on the "Boom! Lawyered" podcast in 2017, describing her feelings when she first learned that Beck was going to start taking hormones to aid his transition. "I needed two things. I needed him to educate me in a very patient, loving way, not feel like I was making judgements just because I didn't understand. And also I needed to understand, I had to educate myself about what the hell the hormones were and what was going to happen." Ally — whose mom is lesbian civil rights activist Charlotte Sheedy — later added, "I just love Beck, so I wanted to support — I've always wanted to support Beck on whatever the particular journey is." In a January 2022 interview with People magazine, the star of "The Breakfast Club" reiterated her belief that "parents need to educate themselves," adding, "It's natural to have fears about your kids, no matter what. But in this case, Beck is in a really great place in his life. I give him the room to run, and I just really try to just watch."
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In August 2021, one of Eminem's children publicly revealed they are gender fluid and now using the pronouns "they/she/he" and going by the name Stevie. The Detroit rapper adopted Stevie — who is the child of his ex-wife Kim Scott with another man, Eric Hartter, in 2005 after the music star briefly reconciled with Kim. "Forever growing and changing <3 #greenscreen #genderfluid #bi #life," Stevie captioned a TikTok video announcing their news. "Watch me become more comfortable with myself <3," Stevie wrote atop the clip, which chronicles their changing looks and identity from "Whitney she/her" to "Whitney they/she" to "Stevie they/she" to "Stevie all pronouns." Page Six reported that half-sister Hailie Jade Mathers showed her support by liking the TikTok post.
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Actress Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, writer-director Christopher Guest, have two adult children — and their youngest is transgender, Jamie Lee revealed in an AARP The Magazine story that hit the internet in July 2021. She shared that she and Christopher "have watched in wonder and pride as our son became our daughter Ruby," adding that Ruby, who works as a video editor for a gaming personality on YouTube, and her fiancé are planning to marry in 2022 "at a wedding that I will officiate." In October 2021, Jamie Lee and Ruby sat down with People magazine for an interview and photo shoot in which the actress explained that she and Christopher have been learning new terminology and words but "still slip occasionally," though Ruby was quick to note, "I don't get mad at them for that." Jamie Lee wanted readers to know that in telling their story, "I'm not proselytizing, 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. Just as it is to care and love and support her older sister Annie in her journeys." Ruby's long been extremely private but now, she told People, "I'm happy to be more visible if it helps others."
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Singer Gloria Estefan and producer Emilio Estefan's daughter, musician Emily Estefan, identifies as queer. She publicly came out in 2017 when she shared a photo of herself with partner Gemeny Hernandez on social media. But in October 2020, Emily and Gloria made headlines when they publicly discussed in detail for the first time Emily's sexual identity and coming out story during an episode of their FaceBook Watch series, "Red Table Talk: The Estefans." The emotional conversation touched on everything from how and when Emily told her parents her truth to hurt and pain she experienced upon telling Gloria despite ultimately having her support.
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After rapper Waka Flocka Flame's stepdaughter, Charlie Williams, told him on an episode of his and wife Tammy Rivera's reality TV show "Waka & Tammy: What the Flocka" that her girlfriend would escort her at her quinceañera, he was supportive. In a March 2021 chat with Fox Soul's "The Mix," he was asked about it. "I don't have expectations. The stuff you're expecting is never gonna be 100%. I can't say I don't like something or love something I've never experienced. If I approached it like a strong-minded male, it [would] run her away," he said. "So I followed my wife's footsteps," he explained, and listened to and accepted Charlie. While many fans praised him for supporting his gay stepchild, others accused him of being hypocritical since he'd previously criticized NBA star Dwyane Wade's publicly supportive parenting of daughter Zaya, who's trans.
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In May 2020, music star Sia revealed that in 2019, she'd quietly adopted two sons who were aging out of the foster care system. A month later in June 2020 during an interview with DJ Zane Lowe on his Apple Music podcast, Sia shared that one of her sons, who was reportedly 19 at the time, was a member of the LGBTQ community. He "recently came out" as gay, she said, as reported by Daily Mail Australia, adding, "He's just blossoming and is the light of my life… I love him so much."
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On June 15, 2020 — the same day the Supreme Court ruled that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination — "The Walking Dead" actor Khary Payton took to Instagram to publicly share that his son is trans. "This my kid. One of the most happy, well-adjusted individuals I've ever known. My son, Karter. Karter with a K because it reminded him of my name. He chose it. You see, he was born female but has always identified as a boy," the actor wrote on Instagram of 11-year-old Karter. "He thought it would be cool if I announced it on social media. I told him that there would be so many supporters but also a lot of jerks who would be harsh. He said, 'Yeah, I know about trolls, daddy. I can handle trolls.' Man, there is nothing more beautiful than watching your child feel the joy of exploring what it means to be true to themselves. This is his journey, and I am here for it. I hope you all have the opportunity to feel the unquenchable love that I am feeling right now."
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On the Nov. 10, 2019, episode of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," Cynthia Bailey's daughter Noelle Robinson, whose dad is actor Leon Robinson, came out as sexually fluid. "People try to box everyone in and put labels on everything, but I don't really do that," Noelle, who began exploring her sexuality during her freshman year at Howard University, told her mom during an emotional conversation. "I just like who I like, and that's just what it is. There's a lot of attractive guys, and there's a lot of attractive girls." Cynthia made it clear she supports her daughter. "I just want you to be happy, Noelle," the "RHOA" star said, as reported by People magazine. "If you meet an amazing young lady, that's a blessing. If you meet an amazing young man, that's a blessing. As long as they're good people and they love and support you."
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Tori Spelling's ex-husband, actor and reality TV star
Dean McDermott, praised his eldest child, son Jack McDermott — whose mom is Dean's first wife, actress and beauty expert Mary Jo Eustace — on the July 1, 2019, episode of his "Daddy Issues" podcast. "My son Jack is gay… He's this beautiful, 6-foot-4, beautiful Adonis," Dean said of his son, who came out at 17. "He's just a gorgeous kid."
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"Sex and the City" star-turned-politician Cynthia Nixon shared her love for son Seph, who's transgender, in a June 2018 Instagram post celebrating her child's graduation from the University of Chicago. "I'm so proud of my son Samuel Joseph Mozes (called Seph) who graduated college this month," Cynthia wrote. "I salute him and everyone else marking today's #TransDayofAction. #TDOA." Seph is one of two children Cynthia had with former partner Danny Mozes. She also has a third child, Max, with wife Christine Marinoni. "I'm very proud of him," she told Us Weekly in April 2019 of Seph, adding that her eldest remained in Chicago to pursue "a life in the theater." Cynthia added that when she first publicly shared Seph's new gender identity in 2018, "There was some general, you know, voicings of support but generally it was not a big deal. I was kind of shocked at what a non-event it was, which is just how far we've come in such a short amount of time."
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"Smooth Operator" singer Sade's only child, son Izaak Theo Adu — who came out as transgender in 2016 — posted a heartwarming note of thanks to his mother on Instagram in September 2019 as he celebrated a successful gender reassignment surgery. "It's been a long hard road but We did it!! We are coming home!!!!" Isaak — whose father is Sade's ex Bob Morgan, a Jamaican music producer — wrote alongside a photo of himself hugging his mom. "Thank you for staying by my side these past 6 months Mumma. 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. Queen of queens ♥️ #mumma #lioness #queen #iloveyou."
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Just days after his wife and music partner, Joey Feek, died in 2016 after a brutal battle with cervical cancer, country music star Rory Feek learned that his daughter from a previous marriage, Hopie, is a lesbian. She told him that her friend Wendy — who's now her wife — "was more than her friend, that Wendy and her had been dating for almost a year. And that she was in love," Rory told "CBS This Morning" journalist Anthony Mason in an interview that aired on June 17, 2018 — Father's Day. Hopie, who also sat down for the interview (she and her dad are on the right in this photo, next to her sister Heidi), revealed she was afraid her deeply religious father would judge her. "Even more than that, she's asking me, 'Are you still going to love me?' And my first reaction, honestly, was I don't think so… because my conservative Christian faith that saved me — the first reaction is that challenges that immensely," Rory admitted, adding, "Am I supposed to shun my child now and say, 'No, you can't be in my life until you come around to thinking like I'm thinking?'" Hopie understood her dad was struggling with her revelation, but in the interview, he made it clear that he accepts his daughter. "The only thing I try to keep in mind is it's her life, it's her choice, it's her faith and my job is to love her even when it's hard or even when I don't agree or even if I don't understand," Rory explained. "I still love her. I can still love her completely." Rory was there when Hopie married Wendy on his family farm in October 2018.
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In 2012 when Sam Greisman, Sally Field's writer-producer son with second husband Alan Greisman, presented his mother with the Ally for Equality Award at the Human Rights Campaign Gala, he praised her with humor. "When I came out, she didn't bat an eye," he said. "In fact, she was overjoyed. Being gay was just one more thing she loved about me. She couldn't be more supportive of me; if anything, I wish she was a little less supportive of me." Case in point: In early 2018, Sally made headlines when she publicly tried to set up Sam with his Winter Olympics crush, figure skater Adam Rippon. ("Sam was mortified," she later admitted to Buzzfeed.) Even though Sally might sometimes embarrass her youngest child, in 2016, the Oscar winner gushed about him in an interview with EW Radio. "What horrifies me is that there are parents who so disapprove, who are so brainwashed to think that this is something out of the Bible or ungodly or against nature. It's not against nature if nature has actually done this," she said. "Sam was always Sam, this wonderful human that he is, from the time he was born."
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Entertainer Marie Osmond, a mother of eight, and second husband Brian Blosil adopted daughter Jessica in the late '80s. In 2009, Marie confirmed reports that her daughter is a lesbian and described Jessica as "a magnificent woman." In 2012, Marie took to Facebook to praise Jessica when she began a career as a cop, writing, "So proud of my oldest daughter, Jes. She just passed her police officer certification tests for emergency medical and defensive tactic training. All 5 feet of her! Love it." In 2013, Marie — who some fans expected to be unsupportive because she's a practicing Mormon — discussed her faith and her support for her daughter in an interview with Diane Sawyer. "The God that I believe in is a god of love, not fear," Marie explained, adding that she supports equal rights for LGBTQ people. "I believe in [my daughter's] civil rights, as a mother. I think that my daughter deserves everything that she desires in life. She's a good girl. She's a wonderful child… I don't think God made one color flower. I think He made many."
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Barbra Streisand and first husband Elliott Gould's only child together, actor-singer Jason Gould, was outed as a gay man by the tabloids in the early '90s. In a 2001 interview with The Advocate, he discussed his sexuality himself, revealing he's known he was gay since he was 8. He also talked about some of the difficulties that have come with being the child of someone as famous as Barbra, a beloved gay icon. Today, he remains close to both of his famous parents.
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In 2016 in his first in-depth interview in 25 years, Oscar winner Warren Beatty discussed his transgender activist son, Stephen Ira — who started transitioning at 14 — publicly for the first time. "He's a revolutionary, a genius, and my hero, as are all my children," Warren told Vanity Fair. Stephen — the eldest of Warren and wife Annette Bening's four kids — was born in 1992. Annette has also publicly supported her son. "I'm super-proud of him," she told The Observer in 2017. "I leave it to him to say what he wants about his life. I don't think it's fair for me to speak for any of my kids, quite frankly. Not that I wouldn't like to!"
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R&B star R. Kelly has three kids with ex-wife Drea Kelly, a dancer-turned-reality TV star fans know from "Hollywood Exes." In a series of 2014 posts on Ask.fm, their then-13-year-old middle child revealed he'd changed his name from Jaya to Jay. He explained that though born female, he'd identified as male since age 6 or 7. "I came out through a text to my [mom] and then I told her when I got more comfortable," Jay explained. "I told her because I knew she would love me no matter what, she has not once judged me in life. She always told me that she loved me and to be who I truly am." The teen also admitted he was "kind of" scared to tell his famous father because they had a complicated relationship, though he felt the singer "probably does know." However, a few weeks later, R. Kelly seemed to deny his transgender son's statements, telling a radio station, "You don't really wanna open it up by saying my daughter is becoming my son. You know what I'm saying? … Always believe what you see, with your own eyes, that is. Always believe what you see. That's the best way to go about this business. I've heard a lot of things about a lot of people, and it was never true." But later in the interview, he voiced support for all his kids, saying, "No matter what they are or who they are, they're still your kids, you love them, you know? You've got to support them. You want to support them. … At the end of the day it's not about me no more. It's about three lovely, lovely kids that I am in love with and that's in love with me."
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The Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle's only child, James Duke Mason, came out to her when he was 14. "Most of my friends since high school have been gay or lesbian… so I was always aware of issues. But I think when you have a son or a daughter or a relative or [someone] familial, it brings it even closer to home," she told the Desert Sun in 2017. "The first thing I thought of is what kind of world is he going to have to struggle with. It's a lot harder for LGBTQ people than it is for straight people, just generally." But she and husband Morgan Mason embraced their son, a writer, commentator and activist who served on West Hollywood's Gay and Lesbian Advisory Board from 2015 to 2020.
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Journalist Ronan Farrow, the son of stars Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, publicly identified as a member of the LGBTQ community for the first time in April 2018, though widespread reports about his sexuality — some have called him bisexual, others have reported he's gay — have been around for years. While accepting an award for LGBT advocacy from the Point Foundation on April 9, Ronan — who wrote some of the most high-profile stories exposing sexual misconduct in Hollywood, particularly about producer Harvey Weinstein's behavior, in late 2017 and in 2018 won a Pulitzer Prize for his work — said, "Being a part of the LGBT community… which recognized that reporting I was doing early on and elevated it, and has been such a stalwart source of support through the sexual assault reporting I did involving survivors who felt equally invisible… that has been an incredible source of strength for me. LGBT people are some of the bravest and most potent change agents and leaders I have encountered, and the most forceful defenders of the vulnerable and voiceless, because they know what it's like to be there." Ronan is incredibly close to his mother and has been estranged from his father for years.
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"The L Word" alum Clementine Ford, the daughter of actress Cybill Shepherd and first husband David M. Ford, came out in 2009. "I'm gay," she told The Advocate. In more recent years, Clementine — who dated singer-songwriter Linda Perry in the late aughts — was branded bisexual after she married actor Cyrus Wilcox, with whom she has two kids, in 2013; in 2017, Clementine clarified on Twitter, "I am a queer woman." In 2010, Cybill's other daughter (with second husband Bruce Oppenheim, a chiropractor), Yale-educated TV writer-director Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim, attended the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards in San Francisco with her girlfriend. Cybill has famously supported marriage equality and same-sex parental rights for years.
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In 2015, Sting and Trudie Styler's third child, musician Eliot Paulina Sumner, who dates women, publicly discussed her sexuality for the first time. "No one had ever asked," Eliot told the Evening Standard when a reporter inquired about whether friends and family had queried. "They knew already, so I didn't need to. I've never come out to anyone. My friends always knew and I always knew." Coco responded "no" when asked if she identified with a particular gender and explained that she defines herself as just a "musician," adding "I don't believe in any specifications." At the time, Eliot had been dating model Lucie Von Alten for two years. In April 2018, Coco was photographed kissing producer Mark Ronson's ex-wife, Josephine de La Baume, during an outing in Paris. "I think forever I was trying to figure out maybe… what I am. But I don't think anyone should feel pressured to have any kind of label or tag on them. We're all human beings," Eliot added in the Evening Standard interview. During a March 2018 appearance on Britain's "Lorraine" show, Trudie — who was promoting her directorial debut, the comedy "Freak Show," which is about an unconventional teenage boy who prefers fabulous women's clothing over masculine attire — was asked about Eliot. "She identifies as a musician," Trudie said, "and the conversation should end there."
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Cher and the late Sonny Bono's only child together, Chaz Bono, publicly self-identified as a lesbian in 1995 after having come out privately as a teen and soon began a career as one of the most high-profile and vocal LGBTQ advocates in the world. In 2010, Chaz legally changed his gender and name following a two-year transition process during which he went from female to male. A year later, he released the documentary "Becoming Chaz," which documented his life change. "I was really supportive as we had talked about it over the years. But I admit it was difficult in the beginning. It was hard for a mother. I had this one child and I was waiting for the new child," Cher told the Mirror in 2013. While she admitted that she does miss Chaz's old voice, "The loss I thought I was going to feel, I don't feel one iota," Cher added.
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NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas's son Zeke Thomas, a successful DJ, is gay. "I came out in 2008, my sophomore year at college. My parents like to say they always knew I was gay. I came out to them, and they were very accepting. I always knew they would be accepting," Zeke told Out in 2013. "Growing up, I had gay uncles, like every kid in America. I never was so scared that my parents were going to shun or disown me — the horror stories you hear. I was just nervous about, 'Are my friends gonna accept me?' because I was a jock kid, so to speak, with an athlete father." In 2010, the former Detroit Pistons point guard showed support for Zeke when he posed alongside his son for the NOH8 Campaign opposing California's previous ban on gay marriage.
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Journalist Anderson Cooper, who came out publicly in 2012, told his mother, famed designer and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, that he was gay when he was 21. Years later, the pair wrote a joint memoir, "The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son Talk About Life, Love, and Loss." While talking to People magazine to promote the 2016 book, Gloria — who passed away in 2019 — praised her son. "It took [a] great courage for you to confide in me," she told Anderson, whose father was her late fourth husband, author Wyatt Emory Cooper. "I hope you know that I am more than 'OK' with it; I rejoice that you are gay! It's part of what makes you the person you are." He told his mom, "I knew that once you got over your initial surprise that you would be supportive."
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Etta Ng is the daughter of action star Jackie Chan and former beauty queen Elaine Ng, with whom he had an affair while married to current wife Joan Lin. Etta once told the Express that her father "never existed in my life" and that "I will never regard him as a father" because he was not involved in raising her. In October 2017, Etta, then 17, came out as a lesbian, sharing photos on social media of herself with her girlfriend, Canadian social media influencer Andi Autumn. "I am in awe at the amount of support and love poured my way," Etta wrote on Instagram afterward. "I am speechless at how followers went to my Girlfriend @andiautumn and my account to show us both so much positivity." Reports reveal that Elaine has been accepting of Etta's news, while Jackie reportedly said, "If she likes it, that's fine," when he was asked about Etta while he was doing press to promote his film "The Foreigner." Etta and Andi married in 2018.
Courtesy of Ariana D'souza/Vogue
Courtesy of Ariana D'souza
