Marlon Wayans recently opened up about being a parent to his transgender son during his appearance on the morning radio show The Breakfast Club.
The 51-year-old American actor and comedian is a father to 23-year-old Kai and 21-year-old Shawn, whom he shares with ex Angela Zackery. Talking about his son Kai’s transition, he started:
“I have a daughter that transitioned into a son. My daughter Amai is now Kai, and so, I talk about the transition.”
“Not his… their transition, but my transition as a parent, going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance,” Wayans continued.
He then shared how he felt about being a supportive parent to his transgender son, expressing:
“I think there’s a lot of parents out there that need that message and I know I’m dealing with it. It was a very painful situation for me but, man, it’s one of the best hours I could ever imagine.”
Moreover, the ‘White Chicks’ star admitted that he’s still trying his best with the usage of pronouns, as he stumbled with she, he, and they throughout the interview.
“They know. They know I love them. They see me try and they’re like, ‘I’m happy,’” he noted.
Wayans also shared a heartfelt message about his children, expressing:
“I gotta respect their wishes and as a parent, I just want my kids to be free – free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves.”
“The more you know yourself, the more you live your truth, the happier your existence. So if they can’t get that in a household with their father and their mother, how the f**k do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence?,” he further stated.
However, as a parent and a comedian, the actor added:
“I’m just so proud of them for being them – but that don’t mean that I ain’t got jokes.”
Not to mention, he has an upcoming stand-up special called “Skittles or Rainbow Child”, where he will reportedly talk about his journey to accepting his son Kai’s decision to transition. It also aims “to help other parents navigate their child’s transition, and to help invoke change through comedy,” as per PinkNews.
You can watch Wayans’ heartfelt message here:
@xyplayerscluck #marlonwayans #daughter #transgender #transition @Marlon Wayans
Also, here’s the full interview:
Sources: buzzfeed.com
