Love Is Love: Celeb Parents Who Are Supportive Of Their LGBTQ+ Kids

Bringing another being into the world is a thrilling event plagued with pain, but also a bounty of joy. No time to celebrate though, you’ve gotta figure out how you can care for and nurture this mini you and cherish those moments while you’re at it. Sounds easy? It’s not. That’s why it can get pretty frustrating when things don’t turn out the way parents expected them to, and that can be in the form of their children accepting their LGBTQ+ identity. While some parents tend to freak out, these celebrities have taken a more calm and reasonable approach by embracing their kids for who they truly are. From sports stars to academy award winners, here are some celebrity parents who accept and support their LGBTQ+ kids.

Alec and Ireland Baldwin

The popular father-daughter pair have had a rollercoaster of a relationship, to put it mildly. Who can ever forget the infamous voice note of the star calling his daughter not-so-fatherly names when she was just eleven years old?! It was all over the media back then.

Nevertheless, the two have seemingly patched things up, and Ireland even took a jab at the whole thing during a roast of her dad back in 2017. Despite going through many rocky times, her past same-gender relationship, in the public eye, has never seemed to be a problem between them.

Billy-Ray, Tish, and Miley Cyrus

This post is all about celebrity parents, but this particular entry is unique because we’ve got a celebrity family! The Achy-Breaky Heart singer was married to Tish for nearly thirty years, and they have five kids together, one of which is the pop star and actress Miley Cyrus.

Miley is one of the biggest stars in our world today, known for her oftentimes eccentric style, choices, and beautiful raspy voice. The singer came out as queer in 2015 and Billy says he’s proud of her no matter what. She was married to Liam Hemsworth and has dated several women in the past.

Terry, Heather, and Max Dubrow

If you’re a reality TV fan or are a frequenter on the E! network, chances are you’ve either seen or heard of the Dubrow family from Botched or The Real Housewives of Orange County. The plastic surgeon Terry and his wife Heather have four amazing children together, one of which recently came out as bi!

Max, on the last day of 2020’s pride month, posted a picture on Insta with the caption saying she always knew she was bi, but just thought it was bipolar! Her mother responded to the quirky post saying she loves Max and is proud to be her mother. How cute.

Gloria and Emily Estefan

Gloria and her daughter Emily had a public chat about the latter’s sexual orientation and what had unfolded when she had come out to her mother years prior. This was the first time they had done this, and Lili Estefan was also in attendance.

Gloria apologized on the show for telling Emily that the news of her sexuality would crush her elderly conservative grandmother who sadly passed away before she could break the news to her as well. Ever since then, the two have patched things up and Gloria told Entertainment Weekly that she’s still growing and learning.

Busy Philipps and Birdie Leigh

As the host of the popular podcast, Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best, Busy already had a voice and a platform, one where she decided to announce the news of her teen daughter coming out as gay. She added that Birdie also prefers they/them pronouns.

Busy revealed that Birdie told them (Busy and her husband, Marc) when she was ten and that she found her daughter, lying on the floor, listening to a Harry Styles album. She asked if she were alright and Birdie responded saying that she feels alive but not living and that she wants the living part to start.

Dwayne, Gabrielle, and Zaya Wade

Retired basketballer and former Miami Heat player, Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union tied the knot in 2014 and have a child together. Dwyane himself has three more kids from his past relationships, one of which is Zaya, a transgender teenage girl.

Wade has spoken out, saying he had to do a lot of self-reflection to understand how to properly support his daughter. Gabrielle herself hasn’t been silent either, tweeting about the news when Zaya came out accompanied by a sentimental message.

Vanna White and Nikko

Vanna White has two children, Gigi and Nikko. In 2013, Nikko revealed he was in love with a Liberian monk who was twice his age, saying in an interview that they have a special relationship. Nikko even went ahead to reveal his boyfriend and mother had met each other.

He has dated a woman in the past, but he has also been in a same-gender relationship since 2013. Nikko prefers not to label his sexuality and he hasn’t confirmed that his relationship with the monk is sexual, although he seems happy and that’s really all that matters.

Cher and Chaz Bono

The legendary and immortal Cher is known for her hits and also for being an avid supporter of LGBTQ rights, but when it came to her trans son, Bono, things were a slightly different story as she’s opened up to having struggled during his transition.

Bono first came out as a lesbian back in the 90s, when he still identified as a woman, but between 2008 to 2010, he underwent gender reassignment surgery and changed his name. He’s Cher’s only child with Sonny Bono and although he and Cher had a once strained relationship, they’ve managed to patch things up.

Mia and Ronan Farrow

Ronan Farrow hasn’t really been very close to his father Heywood Allen, the popular film director, for most of his adulthood. He has also said he’s not one to put labels on his sexual preferences but, according to sources, Ronan actually drives on both sides of the road!

While Ronan was once rumored to be Frank Sinatra’s son, the truth has sort of come to life as several people close to Frank have provided evidence that suggests he’s not. Either way, Mia has remained a loving mother to her son, Ronan.

Ally Sheedy and Beckett Lansbury

The actress Ally Sheedy shares a son with ex-husband David Lansbury, who came out as transgender in his teens and in 2015, started taking hormones to medically transition into a man. He was assigned female at birth, but the 27-year-old is now a trans man!

Beck is a teacher, and Ally says she’s learned a lot from her son. She expressed that Beck is in a good place in his life, that he’s very independent, and that he doesn’t hide anything, educating the parents of his pupils who are also transitioning.

Dean McDermott and Jack

If there’s any celebrity who’s very open about his love for his gay kid, it’s gotta be Dean. Jack is Dean’s son and he came out as gay when he was seventeen. Dean opened up about what his son has been up to as well as details on their relationship in a podcast.

Jack resides in the Golden Gate City where he’s studying at a university, and Dean says he’s a little bit quiet when it comes to talking about his relationships. Dean went on to say Jack has a good relationship with his stepmom Tori, and he describes his son as a “Beautiful Adonis”.

Drea and Jaah Kelly

Popular RnB singer R. Kelly has three kids, all with the choreographer Drea Kelly. Jaah is the second child of the pair who came out as trans when he was 14. He knew ever since he was a child, and started to identify with the appropriate pronouns.

His family was supportive, as they addressed him as he wished and Drea has been with her child every step of the way. She opened up in an interview about how she told him she loves him because he’s her kid, and not because of his orientation. Jaah now also identifies as sexually fluid.

Cynthia Nixon and Samuel Joseph Mozes

Multiple Emmy award winner and former New York Gubernatorial candidate is no stranger to activism and even the LGBTQ community. Cynthia Nixon is a breast cancer activist, public health, and public education activist. In addition to that, the actress identifies as queer.

Her son, Samuel who is also addressed as Seph, is a transgender man. She shared an empowering message about her son back in 2018, shortly after his graduation from college. Although Nixon found the pronoun transition hard, she has remained a supportive mother nonetheless.

Marie Osmond and Jessica Blosil

The popular American singer and actress, Marie Osmond is the proud mother of eight children. Jessica, one of her girls, is a lesbian, and though Marie struggled to come to terms with her sexual orientation, she is now publicly supporting her daughter.

Marie even attended Jessica’s wedding, an action which she was heavily shamed and trolled for because of her religious values. She came out to say no one should ever be shamed for supporting their child, and that she believes in the civil rights of her daughter.

Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper

Actress, artist and socialite, the astonishing Gloria Vanderbilt birthed four children, including the CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper, who happens to be gay. Anderson came out to his friends in high school but wouldn’t tell his mother about his orientation until years later.

When he finally came out to his mother, Gloria instantly felt regret. She remembered a statement she had made where she said she’d feel as though she had failed as a parent if any of her kids were gay and added it was an ignorant remark. Gloria remained supportive of her son Anderson, and they collaborated on a memoir a few years before her passing.

Cynthia Bailey and Noelle Robinson

Listen, if you are not into the Real Housewives franchise, can you really call yourself a reality TV lover? One of the most popular American installments is the Real Housewives of Atlanta, a show in which the mother-daughter pair star.

Noelle came out as fluid, and not long after had to take a break from social media due to all the hate she received. Cynthia spoke about her daughter during an interview, saying it was one of her proudest moments and sharing how she’s helping her daughter deal with all the hate that followed.

Charlize and Jackson Theron

In 2015, the Academy Award winner Charlize Theron revealed her oldest child, Jackson, who was born male now identifies as female. Charlize thought she was a boy until Jackson corrected her at the tender age of three and ever since then, she has raised Jackson as a girl.

This is no surprise to us as Theron has been a longtime advocate for equal rights for members of the LGBTQ community, even going as far as refusing to marry her then-boyfriend in 2009 until everyone had the right to marry in the US!

Brad, Angelina, and Shiloh-Jolie Pitt

Angelina and Brad’s marriage was one of the biggest Hollywood star unions of the early 2010s, but their relationship as man and wife came to an end in 2019 in the form of a divorce. Regardless, Angelina has been very caring and supportive of her six children, including the 16-year-old Shiloh.

Known for her androgynous style, the teen seemingly left fans confused, but her recent appearance during the Eternals movie premieres where she sported feminine looks has cleared the air a bit. Or has it? Either way, Angelina couldn’t be more loving of Shiloh and the rest of her children.

Waka Flocka Flame, Tammy Rivera, and Charlie Williams

The rapper Waka Flocka Flame tied the knot with Tammy Rivera in 2014, hence, became Charlie’s stepfather. In one episode of their show Waka and Tammy: What the Flocka, Charlie was getting ready to celebrate her quinceañera when she proposed to bring her girlfriend along.

The rapper responded positively and even supportively to the idea, backing his daughter’s decision. He later mentioned in an interview that he stands by his daughter and is fostering a home environment that will help her be herself more freely.

Belinda Carlisle and James Duke Mason

Belinda Jo Carlisle was the lead singer of the Go-Go’s, by far the most successful female rock band of all time. She has only one child, her son James with her husband Morgan mason. James came out as gay at 14. Belinda had to hide this fact from his father, unsure how he’d take the news.

When Morgan was told, he laughed it off and although there was an initial struggle with acceptance, Belinda says they wouldn’t have their son any other way. Belinda has attended the PFLAG meeting with her son as well as other events, sharing his coming-out journey along the way.

Vanessa, Johnny, and Lily-Rose Depp

The French artist Vanessa Paradis and American actor Johnny Depp have two kids together, a son named Jack and a daughter named Lily-Rose. In 2015, Lily-Rose posed for the Self Evident Truth project and this got posted social media which people took as her coming out.

Lily later clarified that the photoshoot was taken the wrong way and what she actually meant was that you don’t have to label your sexuality. Her father, Johnny Depp, showed his support for her actions in an interview in 2016.

Isiah and Zeke Thomas

Legendary NBA player, Isiah, has two sons with his wife. Zeke, one of their sons, is an openly gay DJ who came out in 2008. He states that his parents were really accepting and that they actually already knew he was gay.

Zeke says he wasn’t afraid of telling them and that he always knew his parents would accept him, it was really his friends he was worried about. Zeke has also been outspoken about the instances of sexual assault he has had to go through and has released music pertaining to his experience.

Cybill Shepherd and Clementine Ford

The former L Word Star, Clementine Ford, came out as a lesbian, telling The Advocate that she didn’t want there to be a big emphasis on her sexuality. Clementine said the magazine that started the rumor was misleading because it didn’t give fans what she thought they expected it would.

The magazine also reported that she had an affair with her L Word co-star, a claim to which she responded, “I would never!”. The following year, her half-sister came out as well, and even attended an award ceremony with a girlfriend!

Marcia Gay Harden and Hudson

Taking home an Oscar statuette for her role as Lee Krasner in the biopic, Pollock, back in 2000, Marcia Gay Harden is already known for being big on the screen. What people don’t know is she’s also a die-hard ally behind the scenes.

One of her motivations is her gay teenage son Hudson, for whom she wants a guaranteed future where he’s able to express his rights to the fullest. She has been involved in several campaigns and attended awards aimed at promoting equity, and that sounds a lot like support to us.

Sting, Trudie Styler, and Eliot Sumner

In 2015, Trudie and Sting’s daughter Eliot came out in an interview to reveal she was gay. At the time, she had been in a two-year relationship with an Austrian model and she never had to come out to friends or her parents, because they always knew about her sexual orientation.

Eliot is the third child of the stars and is following in her father’s footsteps by becoming a musician and making a mark on the music industry. The singer also does not identify with any gender, seeing herself as just a musician.

Braunwyn, Sean, and Jacob Windham Burke

You may know Braunwyn as one of the stars of the Real Housewives of Orange County, and her son, Jacob, who frequently appears on the show. Jacob loves to dress in drag and get makeovers with his mother, but people have used that as an avenue to make assumptions about his sexuality.

The teen opened up in an interview to dispel those assumptions, saying that he’s a straight effeminate man and he feels there should be more representation of them. His stage name is Devine Devon and his mother has been pretty supportive of her child, writing a message to him on the month of his debut on the show.

Sally Field and Sam Greisman

Sally Field’s son spoke in an interview about the Equality act and coming out to his parents at the age of 19. He described it as a slow and subtle rollout, that he didn’t do the “traditional” sitting people down but that he just started getting more comfortable with his sexuality around his family.

Everyone already knew, including his two-time Academy Award-winning mother Sally Field, who he describes as his hero. Sam says he’s learned a lot of things about activism from his mom and Sally herself alongside Sam has appeared in a couple of videos, talking on the topic and the virtues of the Equality act they advocate.

Stacy, Khary, and Karter Payton

In 2020, The Walking Dead star Khary Payton made a heartwarming post on Instagram, introducing his older child Karter who was born female but has embraced his identity as a male. Khary said that it is his [Karter’s] journey, and he is all here for it.

Khary’s wife, and Karter’s mother, hasn’t been silent about the occasion either, gushing about how wonderful her son is and how proud she is as a mother. From what we can see, it’s pretty clear these two are more than accepting of their son’s identity, and it’s a thrill to witness.

Marlon and Amai Wayans

Everyone who knows Mr. Marlon Wayans knows him as the rib-cracking comedian and actor, but what many people may not know is that he’s also a loving father of two. The oldest of his kids, Amai, is an adolescent lady and a member of the LGBTQ community.

Marlon posted a pic of his daughter in 2020, rocking pride-themed Vans, and wrote a loving message of support as the caption. He even responded to one commenter who claimed Amai has no idea what she was doing and he ought to correct her, saying he loved her for her. Now, that’s a supportive parent.

Sia and Son

Sia is known for her amazing songwriting skills, unique voice, and for being an outspoken LGBTQ activist. She came out as queer in 2013 via a tweet and has two adopted sons, one of which has two children and the other who is gay.

Sia says her older son, who is a member of the LGBTQ community, is blossoming and she describes him as the light of her life. The two boys were both aging out of the foster care system before she adopted them and Sia has expressed her love for them countless times.

Anne and Christopher Rice

Anne Rice was a renowned writer, known for her gothic style and homoerotic books. Although critics weren’t very impressed with her literary work, which is pretty good, by the way, she gained wide recognition in the gay community for her support and representation.

Christopher, her son, is also an accomplished writer and a member of the LGBTQ community. Anne was shocked when Chris came out, but that didn’t diminish her love for him. They have collaborated on books together and Christopher shared a heartwarming post on Facebook for his mother not long after her passing.

Cindy Barshop and Jesse

Former RHONY star opened up about raising her twins, Zoe and Jesse, in 2019. Jesse is trans, and a host of a popular TV show made a statement in which he criticized celebrity parents for allowing and supporting their young children who identify as transgender. Cindy had some things to say about that.

Cindy said Jesse had a poignant response to what he had said, and Cindy herself, says she wants to use the statement as a positive learning lesson for others. The mother of the twins believes in creating an environment where her kids can comfortably express themselves.

Sade and Izaak Theo-Adu Watts

Izaak is the only child of popular Nigerian-British singer, Sade. He came out publicly back in 2016 to announce his true identity, which is male. About three years later, he finished his transition surgery, posting a wonderful note dedicated to his mother alongside a photo of the two together.

Izaak has written about the toll transitioning has taken on him, but he also didn’t forget to mention the amazing support he received from his family and friends. In 2021, Izaak tied the knot with his girlfriend and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for him.

Barbra Streisand and Jason Gould

The multi-talented Barbra was married to Elliott Gould for about eight years, during which they had their son, Jason Gould. Jason is gay, and that is something he’s always known from a very young age, it’s a fact he never tried to hide.

Jason felt there was no need to come out to anyone since he was never in the closet, to begin with! He describes his parents as being supportive and though his father had some difficulty accepting that, his mother says she’d never wish for her son to be anything but who he is. How sweet!

Magic Johnson, Cookie, and E.J Johnson

The former basketball star Magic Johnson has recently opened up in an interview about his journey of coming to accept his son’s sexual orientation. EJ was already out to all his friends, and he said his parents were really the last folks to get the update.

EJ set out to NYU not long after tensions started to boil over at their home, but Johnson visited him at his university just a couple of months later, greeting him with a big hug. EJ finally came out publicly in 2013, and Magic has said a lot about his kid, one that resonated with us was his son changed him.

Annette Bening, Warren, and Stephen Beatty

As the oldest child of the Hollywood couple, Annette and Warren, Stephen is a trans man who began his journey to his true identity in his early teens. He made headlines when he blasted Cher’s son, Chaz, back in 2011, saying he’s not a representative of the trans male populace.

Warren calls Stephen a genius and his hero, alongside the rest of his kids. He’s an LGBTQ rights activist, who started his transition at just fourteen and spoke in a video about how much support he has gotten from friends and peers.

Kelly and Sharon Osbourne

British-American TV personality Sharon Osbourne and heavy metal singer/songwriter Ozzy Osbourne were already household names in their own right. But it was only when they starred in their own reality TV show, The Osbournes, which followed their daily lives, that they really cemented their status.

Together, they have three kids, one of which is Kelly Osbourne, who has dated both men and women. Kelly says everyone’s gay and attributes her openness on her sexuality to both Sharon and Ozzy. She is now an expectant mother, and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her!