Lea Salonga celebrates her trans son and says that unaccepting parents shouldn’t have kids
Lea Salonga has spoke out about what it takes to be a good parent. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
Lea Salonga has spoke out about what it takes to be a good parent. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
Broadway and Disney star Lea Salonga has opened up about supporting her trans son, Nic Chien, in a new interview.
Lea Salonga, famed for her roles in Miss Saigon, Mulan, K-Pop Demon Hunters and Aladdin, has long been an LGBTQ+ ally.
On Thursday (22 January), in a call about Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular, in which Salonga portrays Madame Thérnardier, Salonga spoke about raising her son.
Chien, who in November last year celebrated their top surgery with a heartfelt Instagram post, came out as transmasculine at the age of 14. They are now 19.
Salonga said of raising her son, who uses he/they pronouns: “To those who do not have kids, if you think you will not be able to love your child if they come out to you—if they say ‘Mom, I’m gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans’—if under those conditions your love will stop, do not have children.”
She continued: “Save yourself the drama and heartbreak,” adding in Filipino: “If hindi mo kaya, ‘wag na lang,” which translates to , “if you can’t don’t”.
She added: “Children are not customisable. Every kid is a blind box. You don’t know what you will get.”
Speaking of Chien’s transition so far – he started taking testorione in January last year – she shared: “When there is change, the voice drops, body hair, it was a much more positive outcome… I just want a happy kid.”
Chien has also been open about their transition. Speaking to People, he previously said: “I am still figuring it out…It took a while. A lot of crying! A lot of, ‘You gotta tell me how you feel’ and a lot of, ‘I don’t know what I’m feeling.’”
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