7 Celebrity Parents Who Ditched Stereotypes and Are Proudly Raising Transgender Kids

Psychologists believe that even though gender identity is a pretty complex matter, children as young as 3 years old are capable of identifying their own pronouns. Transitioning can be very confusing for both the child and their parents, especially at a young age, but that is why those families deserve all the respect and support from the outside world. Luckily, there are famous moms and dads out there who show, by their own example, the ins and outs of raising a transgender child.

We at Bright Side applaud these proud celebrity parents whose love for their child doesn’t depend on their gender.

1. Charlize Theron

Charlize’s daughter Jackson was born a boy and came out she was 3 years old. The actress was very understanding and happy to have 2 daughters (Jackson has younger sister named August). Both of Theron’s kids were adopted.

As far as Charlize’s support goes, she protects her daughter, but says she’ll let Jackson tell her side on her own time: “My daughter’s story is really her story, and one day, if she chooses, she’ll tell her story. I feel like as her mother, for me, it was important to let the world know that I would appreciate it if they would use the right pronouns for her.”

2. Cynthia Nixon

Nixon presented the new identity of her transgender son Seph, originally born a girl, in 2018, when she made a post about his graduation on Trans Day of Action. Seph is one of the 2 children the Sex and the City star had with her former partner Danny Mozes.

Cynthia is very supportive of her son and said that his coming out was a relief: “I’m very proud of him... I felt really weird using the other pronoun in public, but people didn’t know yet. He was good with it, and it was really nice, actually, when we announced it. There was some general, you know, voicings of support, but generally it was not a big deal.”

3. Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wayde

NBA star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union do everything they can to make their daughter’s transition comfortable. Dwyane first opened up about Zaya, who lived as a boy for 12 years, in 2020 on The Ellen Show and said he and his wife take their role as parents very seriously and are happy to learn more about what their daughter is going through.

Wade wants to show other parents that they’re not alone: “We know there are other families out there dealing with their kid finding themselves and learning who they are. I’m not going to sit here and act like we have all the answers. I’m not going to sit here and act like before our child came home and sat us down, that we weren’t ignorant parents when it comes to the world. When I say we’re learning from our 12-year-old, we’re literally learning from our child.”

4. Angelina Jolie

The world has been keeping an eye on Shiloh Jolie-Pitt’s changing style for a while now. Boyish style and short hair are Shiloh’s trademark and even though Angelina Jolie has never officially revealed her child’s pronouns, she once let it slip that Shiloh wants to be a boy.

In a 2010 interview, Angelina addressed her daughters style and revealed: “She likes to dress like a boy. She wants to be a boy. So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys’ everything. She thinks she’s one of the brothers.” As for now, we respect the family’s privacy and know that Shiloh will come out when the time is right.

5. Sade

The Smooth Operator hitmaker’s only child came out as transgender in 2016. Izaak, previously known as Mickailia (b. 1996), said his famous mom is his biggest support system and thanked Sade for being by his side during this journey.

Izaak wrote: “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.”

6. Ally Sheedy

Sheedy, who’s best known for her role in The Breakfast Club (1985), is a proud mom of transgender son Beckett (b. 1994), whom she had with her ex-husband David Lansbury. She actively supports the LGBTQ+ community on social media and is vocal about fighting for Beckett’s equal rights as a trans man.

Ally’s son once shared his thoughts on coming out and gender in general: “Pronouns are something that people just usually take for granted. You never really think about it since the baby’s born. They’re a boy, then there’s no question about how are we going to refer to the child. It’s really, really nice to be able to have that power to pre-plan how you’re identified and how other people are going to see you and identify you.”

7. Cindy Barshop

The Real Housewives of New York City star Cindy Barshop revealed in 2019 that one of her twins identifies as a boy. The former reality show personality said, at the time, that her 9-year-old Jesse is on his way to becoming transgender and has her full support: “When a child feels comfortable and open, identity issues are able to be discussed in the family environment. I believe in creating an open and positive home so they are able to express themselves.”

Bonus: Cher

Cher has done her job as a parent splendidly and supported her son Chaz Bono in his transition. Originally born in 1969 as a female named Chastity, Chaz began his transition in 2008 and recorded his experience in the documentary Becoming Chaz. In 2011, Bono took part in Dancing with the Stars and made history by becoming the first transgender person to appear on a reality competition show.

The famous singer said Chaz’s coming out brought them closer than ever: “We’re in the best place we’ve ever been since she was young. And I have to say ‘she’ because Chastity was a ‘she’ then and I have to make the distinction with Chaz as he is now. But it’s starting to be nice because we’re creating memories now and we’ve actually had the most fun together lately than we’ve had in forever.”

Do you have an experience with a transgender child? Share your story with us!

Angelina Jolie stands firm against societal pressures on women’s bodies, as highlighted in a recent article. Her stance is a testament to her commitment to body positivity and self-acceptance.