Over the past few years, our trans and non-binary siblings have become primary targets for conservative lawmakers and political figures, who have made it their mission to roll back their rights.
From the 47th president of the United States introducing harmful executive orders that restrict gender-affirming care for trans youth and ban trans athletes from competing in sports, to the UK Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, the existence of trans and non-binary people is being continually questioned and undermined. Beyond the political sphere, the community also faces backlash from figures in the entertainment industry who use their platforms to spread misinformation and hate.
With anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment growing by the day, it’s more important than ever to see high-profile stars openly loving and celebrating their trans and non-binary children. From Charlize Theron embracing her trans daughter in multiple interviews to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union honouring their daughter Zaya at award shows, these celebrity parents offer beautiful examples of what true trans allyship looks like.
Check out our full list below.
Robert De Niro
Back in April, Airyn De Niro publicly came out as trans in an interview with Them, saying it “feels right” to finally share her identity. She credited other trans women who have embraced visibility for inspiring her journey.
“Getting to see them in their success, being honest and open in public spaces,” she said, “I’m like, you know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me. Maybe I can start.”
Shortly after Airyn opened up about her gender identity, Oscar-winning icon Robert De Niro showed his support in a statement to Variety. “I loved and supported Aaron as my Aaron, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” he told the outlet. “I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
Cynthia Nixon
Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon first spoke publicly about her trans son in February while attending a rally in support of gender-affirming care.
“I’m here as a longtime New Yorker, and I’m here as a person who loves my city and my state. Most importantly, I am here today as the mother of a proud trans man,” she told the roaring crowd.
“I am here today as the aunt of a proud trans man. My best friend’s kid is trans, and my kid’s best friend is trans. My wife and I — our lives are filled with the most amazing, beautiful, brave trans people, young and old, but especially young.”
Charlize Theron
In 2019, The Old Guard star Charlize Theron – a longtime advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community – revealed to The Daily Mail that her daughter Jackson is trans.
“Yes, I thought she was a boy, too. Until she looked at me when she was three years old and said, ‘I’m not a boy.’ 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,” she said.
A few months later, the Atomic Blonde star opened up to Pride Source about why she felt it was important to publicly acknowledge her daughter’s gender identity.
“My daughter’s story is really her story, and one day, if she chooses, she’ll tell it. I feel like, as her mother, it was important for me to let the world know that I would appreciate it if they used the right pronouns for her,” she explained.
“It became harder for us as she got older — people were still writing about her using the wrong pronouns, and I was still talking about her in the press using the wrong pronoun. It really hurt her feelings. I don’t want to be that mom, and that’s why I said what I said a while back.”
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union-Wade
NBA star Dwyane Wade and TV and film icon Gabrielle Union are prime examples of trans allies, consistently using their platforms to support not only their daughter Zaya but also the broader community.
In a 2020 interview with Ellen, the former basketball star opened up about how he and the Bring It On star responded to Zaya coming out, revealing: “We take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously. So when our child comes home with a question or an issue, it’s our job as parents to listen and give them the best information we can and the best feedback we can.
“That doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it. Our 12-year-old came home and said, ‘I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, I’m ready to live my truth, and I want to be referenced as she/her. I’d love for you guys to call me Zaya.’”
Dwyane said it was his and Gabrielle’s “jobs to go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship we have” to educate themselves about the trans experience — even reaching out to members of the cast of the queer drama Pose.
Marcia Gay Harden
In May 2023, Hollywood icon Marcia Gay Harden – best known for her roles in Miller’s Crossing and Mystic River – revealed that she has a non-binary child during an appearance at the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon, a livestream event addressing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the United States.
During the broadcast, Harden told co-host Adam Shankman and the audience: “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.”
Marlon Waynes
Scary Movie star and legendary comedian Marlon Wayans is another celebrity who has unapologetically embraced his trans child. In an interview with The Breakfast Club, the White Chicks star opened up about his trans son, Kai, and why it’s essential for parents to give their children the freedom to be themselves.
“As a parent, I just want my kids to be free. I want them to be 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,” he explained. “So if they can’t get that in a household with their father and mother, how the f**k do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence?”
In addition to expressing his love for Kai in interviews, Wayans has also shown support on social media, sharing Pride posts and defending his son from bigoted public figures.
Rosie O’Donnell
Like many of her peers, legendary comedian Rosie O’Donnell opened up about her child’s non-binary journey in an interview. While discussing her guest appearance in And Just Like That and her move to Ireland following Trump’s win, the LGBTQIA+ icon told Variety: “I have a little one who is non-binary — 12 years old — and it was the most interesting thing.
“They said to me, ‘Mommy, I’m non-binary. I’m not a boy and I’m not a girl.’ I said, ‘Okay, fantastic.’ They go, ‘My pronouns are they/them, and I’d like them respected.’ I will do my very best, right? Who are they, Harvey Milk reincarnated?”
Sigourney Weaver
Throughout her decades-long career, Avatar star Sigourney Weaver has established a reputation as a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. The beloved actress has also extended that support to her non-binary child, Shar.
In a 2023 interview with The Times, she gushed about their journey, stating:“ They are non-binary. They teach at Columbia, digital storytelling, bots, and misinformation. They are someone who is excited about AI and not frightened about it. They are not at all interested in doing what I do. That made my husband and me very happy.”
Michelle Visage
Michelle Visage is another celebrity who has unapologetically used her platform to support the LGBTQIA+ community, including her own child. While the Drag Race icon has refrained from disclosing the specifics of her child’s identity, she confirmed that one of her kids was transitioning in 2024.
Then, in January, after Donald Trump signed executive orders requiring federal agencies to recognise only two genders, Visage took to her Instagram story to share a powerful and candid message directed at the former reality TV star: “You will not erase my child.”
Jennifer Lopez
While Jennifer Lopez has not publicly discussed her child Emme’s non-binary identity in interviews, she has shown love and support through her actions.
During one of her 2022 shows, the ‘Waiting For Tonight’ singer introduced Emme to the crowd using they/them pronouns, saying: “They cost me when they come out. But they’re worth every single penny because they’re my favourite duet partner of all time. So if you will indulge me.”
Sade
It’s no secret that Sade isn’t one to disclose much to the press. However, the legendary singer-songwriter has opened up about her life through her iconic music, including her love and appreciation for her transgender son, Izaak Adu.
In October 2024, Sade released her first song in six years, ‘Young Lion’, for Red Hot Organisation’s trans-inclusive compilation EP Transa: Selects. In the track, the Paradise singer offered an apology to her son, singing: “Young man, it’s been so heavy for you / You must have felt so alone / The anguish and pain / I should’ve known.”
Sade’s heartfelt lyrics were embraced by Adu, who said they “struck a chord” with him during an interview with Rolling Stone. “Though there was nothing I needed to forgive her for, the lyrics ‘Forgive me, son, I should have known,’ struck a chord,” he said. “My mum never tried to oppress the boy I silently always knew I was. She always let me be me.”
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber
Former Hollywood IT couple Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber are prime examples of excellent co-parenting, especially when it comes to their trans daughter, Kai.
During an interview with Variety, Schreiber gushed about Kai and how she has always had a strong sense of self.
“Kai was always who Kai is. But I suppose the most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns,” he explained. “To be honest with you, it didn’t feel like that big of a deal to me only because Kai had been so feminine for so long.”
While Watts hasn’t publicly discussed Kai’s identity, she has shown her love and support on social media. When celebrating her daughter’s 16th birthday, the Mulholland Drive star wrote: “Darling Kai. Happy sweet sixteen. Your sweetness is pure, and I’m the luckiest mommy in the world, and that world is SO lucky that you are here!
“You blow me away with your wild spirit, strength and yes, your soft sweetness too. You even let me post a baby picture!! I thank my lucky stars I get to be your mom. I love you to the moon.”
In addition to adorable birthday posts, Watts has supported Kai’s thriving career in the fashion and modelling industry, sharing various photos of her on shoots and at runway shows.
Tia Carrere
Earlier this year, film and TV icon Tia Carrere opened up about her trans son, Jude, for the first time after he attended the world premiere of the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch in her stead.
When asked if Jude would follow in her acting footsteps, the Wayne’s World star told the publication: “He doesn’t love the spotlight. He’s more introverted, so he definitely won’t go into acting or singing like I did. But he’s a great artist.”
While the silver screen and musical stage may not be in the cards for her son, Carrere revealed that a career in the medical field or working with animals could be an option.
“He’s very matter-of-fact. He knows who he is, and he’s very happy,” the AJ and the Queen star continued. “He’s such a sweetheart, he’s like the therapist to all the other kids. When his friends go out drinking or partying too hard, he’s always the designated driver, that kind of caring friend you can always lean on.
“I did a good job with that. But I don’t want to congratulate myself too much! He’s his own person!”
Annette Bening and Warren Beatty
Annette Bening and Warren Beatty have consistently used their platforms to celebrate their trans son, Stephen, and his journey.
In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bening praised the 33-year-old poet as “incredibly brilliant,” adding, “Stephen has always been a highly literary person. I just read his latest poem that was just published; wow, it is so extraordinary.”
She also reflected on her own learning curve after Stephen came out, saying, “I was very ignorant about what it meant to be a trans kid… I didn’t always know what to do, and I didn’t always make the right choices because of my own ignorance, but we got through it.”
Beatty shared similar sentiments in a 2016 Vanity Fair interview, describing Stephen as “a revolutionary, a genius” and his “hero,” adding, “as are all my children.”
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