34 celebrities you probably didn’t know had LGBTQ+ kids
Stars such as Cher, RL Stafford and Naomi Watts have shown huge love for their LGBTQ+ kids. (Credit: Getty Images)
Celebrities secure their status thanks to the love of their fans, but these famous parents have proven they have just as much to give to their LGBTQ+ kids.
These 34 celebs all have one thing in common: queer children who they adore, and aren’t shy of talking about with pride.
1. Marlon Wayans
White Chicks actor and comedy star Marlon Wayans revealed in November that he has a trans son.
Speaking to The Breakfast Club, he said: “I have a daughter who transitioned into a son. My daughter Amai is now Kai, and so, I talk about the transition.
“Not his – their – transition, but my transition as a parent, going from ignorance and denial to unconditional love and acceptance.”
2. David and Georgia Tennant
David and Georgia Tennant share a family of five, including Doris, who is believed to be non-binary.
Both parents are incredible LGBTQ+ allies with Dr Who legend Tennant’s queer allyship resulting in him being called a “groomer” simply for expressing support for the trans community and his own child, while Georgia made a pledge to trans people following ongoing attacks on the community by the UK government.
3. Charlize Theron
RulPaul’s Drag Race guest judge Charlize Theron revealed in 2019 that her eldest child, Jackson, is trans. She has shared updates about both of her daughters in the years since.
Earlier this month, the Oscar-winning star once again stood up for the LGBTQ+ community, saying she wanted her children to grow up in a world where they feel accepted.
4. Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott
MTV’s Love at First Lie host Tori Spelling’s stepson, Jack McDermott, came out as gay when he was 17.
In honour of his 21st birthday in 2019, she penned an Instagram post to him, praising him for his confidence and adding: “He was who he was and he was proud of it. And, then we bonded again. We found each other on a new level with a whole new respect.”
Dean has also praised his son, now 24, on social media.
5. Marie Osmond
Singing legend Marie Osmond spoke about her daughter Jessica being gay last year.
Showing her support for equal marriage, she said: “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 colour flower. I think He made many.”
6. Cher
Pop goddess Cher has a trans son: Chaz Bono.
The “Put a Little Holliday in Your Heart” singer has openly supported him and, last year, spoke out to urge voters to “stand together” with the trans community as the US presidential election draws nearer.
Chaz previously spoke exclusively to PinkNews about the increasing hostility facing trans people in the US, comparing the situation to the Aids crisis of the 80s and 90s.
7. Cynthia Bailey
Supermodel and The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey’s daughter Noelle Robinson, who she shares with ex Leon Robinson, came out as sexually fluid in a 2019 episode of the show.
At the time, she said: “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.”
8. Eugene Levy
American Pie actor Eugene Levy created Schitt’s Creek with his gay son Dan.
In the successful comedy, Eugene played Dan’s character’s (David), supportive father.
David was one of the first and most prominent pansexual TV characters.
“I was lucky enough to have a family who supported me fiercely and unconditionally when I needed it the most, when I came out at 18,” Dan said in a speech for GLAAD.
9. Sade
Soul singer Sade has a trans son named Izaak Theo Adu-Watts.
Izaak previously dedicated an Instagram post to his mum, thanking her for all her support, writing: ““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.”
10. Colin Mochrie
Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Colin Mochrie revealed that he has a trans daughter via X/Twitter in 2017.
The Scottish-Canadian star has since fiercely supported her and even fired back at online trolls after they attacked her after he posted a celebratory birthday message on her Facebook page.
11. Isiah and Lynn Kendall Thomas
Zeke, the son of basketball legend Isiah Thomas, and his wife Lynn Kendall, has spoken about his parents being “very accepting” of him when he came out as gay to them.
He told Out: “I always knew they would be accepting. 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.”
12. Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis has been open about her fight to protect trans daughter Ruby Guest, who came out in 2020.
Last year, the Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar winner said she has given her statuette they/them pronouns, and she has frequently posted on Instagram in support of trans youth.
When Ruby came out, Curtis said: “This is my daughter. This human being has come to me and said, ‘This is who I am’. And my job is to say, ‘Welcome home’. I will fight and defend her right to exist to anyone who claims that she doesn’t.”
13. Jennifer Lopez
In 2022, Jennifer Lopez introduced her child Emme, whose father is singer-songwriter Marc Anthony, using they/them pronouns as they duetted at the LA Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala.
Lopez has previously shown her support for her trans non-binary nibling (a gender-neutral term for a child of a sibling, replacing “niece” or “nephew”) Brendon Scholl and helped promote their short film Draw With Me, about gender, art and self-expression.
14. Trudie Styler and Sting
The daughter of Sting and actress and producer Trudie Styler, Eliot Sumner, opened up about being gender-fluid in 2015.
At the time, Eliot said of their famous parents: “They knew already. So, I didn’t need to. I’ve never come out to anyone. My friends always knew and I always knew.”
15. Alexis Bellino
Real Housewives of Orange County star Alexis Bellino shared a touching message introducing her trans son, Miles, to the world in 2022.
On Instagram, she wrote that he was ready to come out and she wanted to use her platform to stop any hate or questions. She added that Miles is the “same child with his kind heart” and is “brave enough to step forward at such a young age”.
16. Liev Shreiber and Naomi Watts
Ray Donovan star Liev Schreiber and fellow screen star Naomi Watts, who split in 2016, continue to support their trans daughter Kai.
Taking to Instagram for Kai’s 14th birthday in 2022, the pair praised their daughter, calling her “beautiful”, while Watts stated that she was “beyond proud” to be her mum.
17. Heather Dubrow
Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow introduced her trans son to the world last year, with a message on social media.
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 some day if he chooses to do so,” and added that he has the support of the whole family.
18. Barbra Streisand
Legendary gay icon Barbra Streisand has a grown-up gay son, Jason, whose father is veteran star of films and TV, Elliott Gould.
Streisand has stood up for LGBTQ+ rights relentlessly, and in 2020 she shared a message for GLAAD’s Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone. Two years earlier she dropped an LGBTQ+ anthem, “Love’s Never Wrong,” in a not-so-guarded attack on president Donald Trump.
19. Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy, best known for her role in 80s smash films The Breakfast Club and WarGames, has a trans son called Beckett.
Speaking to People, Sheedy said: “I feel very comfortable talking to anyone whose kid is just beginning the process of transition. Parents need to educate themselves.
“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 try to just watch.”
20. Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union
Basketball legend Dwyane Wade and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, are parents to trailblazing model Zaya, who came out as trans in 2020.
Last year, the couple decided to move away from Florida because of the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
21. Marcia Gay Harden
Actor Marcia Gay Harden revealed that all of her “children are queer” during the star-studded fundraising event Drag Isn’t Dangerous in May.
The Fifty Shades of Grey star’s eldest child, Eulala, is non-binary, while her son Hudson is gay and her youngest Julitta is gender fluid. She said having three queer children drives her to fight for LGBTQ+ rights, adding that they teach her “every day”.
22. Cynthia Nixon
Sex and the City actor Cynthia Nixon publically shared that she has a trans son, Samuel, in 2020.
The lesbian actress said she fully supports him but confessed to, at first, struggling to adapt to using his correct pronouns.
More recently, she posted a photo of his college graduation on Trans Day of Action, praising him for both his academic achievement and for marking the occasion.
23. Magic and Cookie Johnson
Former basketball legend Magic Johnson and his wife, the philanthropist Cookie, have a gay son, EJ, who came out at 17.
Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Magic said: “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. We love him. EJ is amazing.”
24. Sally Field
Veteran TV and film star Sally Field and her gay son Sam Greisman work together for LGBTQ+ equality.
In 2019, the pair joined a Human Rights Campaign video in support of the Equality Act, a bill before congress that would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across all 50 states.
25. Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus
Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus showed full support for his popstar daughter after she came out as pansexual in 2015.
Miley said she has felt queer since she was at least 14, with both her mum and dad having continued to support her professionally and personally.
26. Cindy Barshop
Real Housewives of New York‘s Cindy Barshop spoke to People in 2019 about her trans son Jesse, who came out at the age of six.
“Trans children, they know their identity. It’s not about sexuality and that is the most important thing,” Barshop said. “People are like: ‘Well, how do they know?’ It’s an identity change, not a sexuality. So, that’s the one clarification I want to make. You have to be open with your children.”
27. Robert Stafford
Renowned gospel musician Robert Stafford is father to Lil Nas X, who is gay.
Stafford has been open about his support for his son, texting him praise for his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” music video, and jumping to defend him after people blamed the rapper for his mum’s addiction issues.
“Despite what people say, [Lil Nas X] is the greatest kid a parent can be blessed with,” Stafford wrote on Instagram.
28. Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Vanderbilt, the famous New York fashion icon and socialite who died from stomach cancer at the age of 95 in 2019, was remembered by her gay son, the broadcaster Anderson Cooper, as an “extraordinary mother”.
The heir to the Vanderbilt family fortune, who was married four times and had four children, revealed in 2016 that she had a same-sex romance as a young girl.
29. Alec Baldwin
Saturday Night Live legend Alex Baldwin has spoken openly about his daughter Ireland coming out as bisexual.
He told Amy Schumer on his podcast Here’s the Thing: “As my daughter said to me, because she had a girlfriend for a while, ‘You don’t sleep with a man or a woman. You sleep with the person. I’m attracted to that person’. So, she slept with somebody who was a woman.”
30. Annette Bening and Warren Beatty
Actress Annette Bening is mother of a trans son, Stephen Ira, who she shares with fellow screen legend Warren Beatty.
“I get to say this because I’m the mother: my son is incredibly brilliant… I am incredibly proud of him, and he has carved his own way,” Bening told The Hollywood Reporter in August. “He’s someone I admire, and I’ve learned a lot from when he first came out.”
Two months later, she warned anti-trans US politicians that they “do not want to make this momma mad”.
31. Busy Philipps
In December, Freaks and Geeks star Busy Philipps said her daughter Birdie has re-adopted she/her pronouns after going by they/them pronouns for the past two years.
She initially revealed in 2021 that her daughter was gay and using they/them pronouns.
32. Sigourney Weaver
In 2022, the Alien star revealed that her child Char is non-binary.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, the Oscar-nominated actor said Char teaches about digital storytelling, bots and misinformation at the prestigious Columbia University, in New York.
“They are someone who is excited about AI and not frightened about it. They were not at all interested in doing what I do. That made my husband and me very happy.”
33. Brian Austin Green
Beverly Hills, 90210 star Brian Austin Green has been open about raising his gay son, Kassius Marcil-Green, nicknamed Kash.
Last year, the star revealed how his attitude has changed since Kash came out about four years ago, saying he has learnt being part of the community, “isn’t different at all, it’s just your choice of partner”.
34. Khary Payton
The Walking Dead star Khary Payton has revealed his son is trans, in an Instagram post in 2020.
Karter had always “identified as a boy”, Payton wrote.
“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,” he added.
