14 Celebrities Who Are Proud of Their LGBT+ Children

Most parents know exactly what the future of their children should be like. And they are ready to spend time and energy to make this dream come true. But sometimes children don’t need their parents’ guidance or financial support. They just need love and to be accepted the way they are.

At CHEERY, we want to talk about celebrity parents who always stand by their children despite the stereotypes and prejudices.

Ally Sheedy

Famous writer and actress Ally Sheedy confessed that she had typical parental worries when her son came out as transgender in his teens. Beck is 28 now, and he works as a teacher.

“I want him to be able to do what he wants to do with his life and have the freedom to make his own choices and surround himself with a loving, supportive community,” says Ally. “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.”

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union

When the son of the famous basketball player came out as transgender in 2020, Wade got really worried. He didn’t know how people around would treat Zaya, but at the same time he confessed that his daughter taught him a valuable life lesson. “I went years without telling my chef that I don’t like cilantro on my burger — as an adult, it took me years to have the confidence to say that,” Wade said.

Gabrielle Union, the athlete’s wife, wants to make sure that their kids feel supported and free to be exactly who they are. Dwyane adds that all members of their family are unique. And they want their uniqueness to shine. The celebrity couple are both activists in the LGBTQ+ community through their Wade Family Foundation.

Marcia Gay Harden

The son of the famous actress is gay. This is why Marcia feels it’s important to support the LGBTQ+ community. “I just want to make sure he gets to have a family when he wants one,” Harden says.

Her son Hudson is a YouTube vlogger, and his mom supports him in this. She hopes that Hudson will be true to himself because he is funny, smart and knows how to inspire others.

Magic Johnson

When Johnson’s son came out as gay to his father, the NBA star couldn’t come to terms with his son’s sexual orientation at first. He didn’t let his son wear scarves in the house and tried to lecture him. But Magic managed to accept his child’s choice over time, and supported him after that.

“I studied in New York at the time,” EJ recalls. “I had only been gone for 2 months. My dad picked me up at my dorm and hugged me so hard — he was, like, squeezing all the air out of me.” Magic Johnson says that his son has changed him. “My boy is proud of who he is. And he got it from me.” Now the family supports the LGBTQ+ community.

Sally Field

According to Sam, the actress’s youngest son, when he came out as gay to his mom, she was delighted and supported Sam in his choice. Being gay was just one more thing she loved about him.

Field was so supportive of Sam that his brothers had to hold her back, fiercely insisting she should not travel that road for him. “I had to wait for him to own himself in his own time,” she confessed.

Khary Payton

The Walking Dead star is very proud of his older son. Karter was born a girl but always felt he was a boy. And his parents support his choice. Payton wrote, “This is my kid. One of the most happy, well-adjusted individuals I’ve ever known. He was born female but has always identified as a boy. He thought it would be cool if I announced it on social media.”

Khary warned his son that there were people who would insult him. But Karter said that he knew how to handle trolls. Payton recently posted, “I will protect his right to be his authentic self until my last breath.”

Cher

Cher confessed that it wasn’t easy for her when her child transitioned from female to male. “We talked about whether Chaz was transgender for many years and he would say, ‘No, I don’t want to.’ And then he went and said, ‘OK, I want to do this,’” the singer said. However, she could never understand why there is still such a fuss surrounding the movement.

Chaz admitted, “The hard thing for my mom is that because she is a public figure. The truth is a lot of parents never speak to their transgender kids again. That’s not the case in my family. There’s no doubt about her love for me.”

Cindy Barshop

The famous TV personality, Cindy Barshop, revealed that nothing really changed for her family when her son Jesse came out as transgender. Bershop said, "“Trans children, they know their identity. It’s not about sexuality and that is the most important thing. It’s an identity change, not a sexuality.” And she added, “You have to be open with your children.”

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp believes that his main responsibility as a parent is to support his children because his son and daughter will be making their own important choices in life. So, when Lily-Rose revealed that she saw herself as sexually fluid, Depp was proud of her openness.

They had always been close, and he was impressed by his daughter’s level of maturity and intelligence. “I’ll never stop worrying about her. It’s a father-daughter thing. But she’s got a sensible head on her shoulders, and I trust her to lead a sensible, responsible life,” the actor said.

Marlon Wayans

The famous actor and comedian supports his daughter Amai and defends her choice on social media. When she openly revealed online that she was gay, one of Marlon’s followers commented that Amai was too young to understand who she really was and asked Marlon not to teach her such things.

But the actor replied, “She’s who she is until she doesn’t choose different. I love her for what she is, not what I want her to be.” He’s thankful to Amai for standing her ground. And he believes that any father would be proud of such a kind and smart child.

Liev Schreiber

When Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts’s youngest son decided to grow out his hair and wear dresses, his parents supported him without hesitation. They are not afraid of online critics and let their son make his own choices. “I love him beyond,” Schreiber wrote on his Instagram. He lets his son wear dresses and skirts.

Charlize Theron

The actress’s elder child said to his mom that he was not a boy when he was 3. So, now Charlize raises 2 wonderful daughters, Jackson and August. According to her, girls were born who they are and they will find themselves as they grow up. And she’s not going to make choices for them. “I will do everything in my power for my kids to have that right and to be protected within that,” Charlize said.

Dean McDermott

The actor’s eldest son, Jack came out as gay to his father when he was 17. Dean McDermott supports his child and is proud of what a smart and handsome person he’s become. But he admits that he worries for Jack because he’ll have to deal with prejudices and persecution in the future. And every parent wants their children to be happy.

Jamie Lee Curtis

The actress’s youngest child began to suspect he was transgender when he was 16. 8 years later, he dared to confess to his parents that he felt himself a woman and that his name was Ruby now.

But Ruby was not afraid to come out to her parents because they had always accepted and supported her. However, Curtis has to admit she doesn’t know much about it. Now she has to be more mindful about what she’s saying and think about how her words can affect others.

Curtis said, “We have watched in wonder and pride as our son became our daughter Ruby.” She confessed, “I still make mistakes every day. I call Ruby her previous name. It’s complicated. But if someone learns Ruby’s story and gets enough courage to reveal their identity, then it’s all worth it.”

Do you know anyone around you who decided to support their children despite the stereotypes?