This is true father behavior!
Former NBA superstar Dwayne Wade, who is an outspoken supporter of his transgender daughter Zaya, is starring in a new project that showcases beautiful parent relationships with their LGBTQ+ children.
Wade's upcoming documentary, The Dads, follows a group of fathers who navigate supporting their transgender and gender-expansive children in the current political climate.
The trans community is under near-constant attack from Republicans, but that hasn’t stopped Wade and other famous fathers from being vocal supporters of their trans kids.
From pro athletes to A-list actors to famous comedians, Hollywood is full of dads who have stepped up to provide unconditional love and support for their trans kids. Check out some of the best dads in the industry below!
Dwayne Wade
NBA Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade and actress Gabrielle Union’s daughter Zaya came out as trans in 2020 and the pair have been nothing but supportive ever since.
Wade's new documentary, The Dads, even collaborated with Zaya to create an online resource for trans youth and their families called Translatable Project.
“[Think of] the moment when you were in the hospital and you grabbed your daughter, and you looked at your daughter. All the things that went through your mind and all the emotions that went through your mind. And how much love fills your heart at that moment. Don’t let that ever leave you, no matter what,” Wade told Variety while on the red carpet at the 2022 Met Gala.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro’s transgender daughter Airyn De Niro was sadly outed by the tabloids, but luckily, she has had her famous father in her corner supporting her the whole time.
"I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter," Robert De Niro said in a statement shared with Variety. "I don’t know what the big deal is,” he continued. "I love all my children."
Tommy Davidson
In Loving Color star Tommy Davidson has said that his mom helped him see how complicated and nuanced gender can be, which helped him when his son Jerzey Saint Wilson came out as trans.
"If you have that child, you raise them that gender, you're expecting what you got. And you know what those two things are," he said. "If it's changed along the way, for me it's not strange, but it's natural to get used to it."
Dean McDermott
While attending a screening of his film My Fake Boyfriend at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, actor Dean McDermott talked about his love for his queer children, whom he shares with Tori Spelling.
“The thing I love about this movie is I got to share it with my 15-year-old who identifies as trans and my gay son,” McDermott said. “I love that they get a safe space to come and watch this. I think this movie is really important. It’s as poignant as it is fun. So, thank you all for coming, and most importantly, to Jack and Liam, I love you guys.”
Liev Schreiber
Kai and Liev Schreiber.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Actor Liev Schreiber has spoken openly about how much he supports his trans daughter Kai — whom he shares with actress Naomi Watts — and revealed that she never had to come out to her parents.
“Kai was always who Kai is,” Schreiber told Variety. “But I suppose the most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns. 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.”
Terry Dubrow
Botched star Terry Dubrow and his wife, Real Housewives of Orange County’s Heather Dubrow, are both supportive of their three LGBTQ+ children, including their trans son Ace.
"If we can change hearts and minds by showing how our version of a normal, supportive family can be, we're in," Dubrow told E News! "We try to be role models for these conversations, and that's the platform that Heather and I have been chosen to have and to put out there. And we're honored."
He also encouraged parents to stop thinking about themselves and just be there for their kids. "You may have your biases and your preconceived notions, but it ain't about you, it's about them, and they live in a completely different world than you grew up in," he said. "We all know the right thing to do. We all know the right way to act with our kids."
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty.
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Actor Warren Beatty might be from an older generation, but that hasn’t stopped him and wife Annette Bening from supporting their son Stephen Ira Beatty, who came out as trans in 2012.
“He’s a revolutionary, a genius, and my hero, as are all my children,” Beaty said in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2016.
Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans, who has gushed about his transgender son Kai repeatedly in the media over the years, admitted that it took him about a week to come to a place of acceptance around his son’s gender identity.
"You understand the purpose of kids and the beauty of unconditional love," he said on The Jennifer Hudson Show. "At the end of the day, in my heart, only thing that matters to me is that my child is happy.”
He added on an episode of The Breakfast Club, "You can't beat gay out of someone. You can't hypnotize someone to not be transgender. You just gotta accept and love them.”
Colin Mochrie
Who's Line Is it, Anyway? star Colin Mochrie is always bragging about his transgender daughter, Kinley, and has defended her on social media.
"You go through this thing, 'Now my child has changed gender, does that mean that previous child is now gone?'" Mochrie said in an interview with CBC, but quickly realized that Kinley was "the exact same kid" with a "different coat on."
Khary Payton
In 2020, The Walking Dead star Khary Payton introduced his trans son Karter on Instagram and showed the world just how much he supports his child.
"This is my kid," he wrote. "One of the most happy, well-adjusted individuals I’ve ever known. My son, Karter, Karter with a K because it reminded him of my name. He chose it."
Payton continued, "You see, he was born female but has always identified as a boy. He thought it would be cool if I announced it on social media. I told him that there would be so many supporters but also a lot of jerks who would be harsh."
