Comedian Marlon Wayans is opening up about being the parent of a transgender child. In a recent interview on The Breakfast Club radio show, he revealed that his oldest child Kai is transgender.
"I have a daughter that transitioned into a son. My daughter Amai is now Kai, and so, I talk about the transition," he shared.
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He is preparing a stand-up special focusing on his own journey as the parent of a transgender child
Marlon revealed that he is already working on a new special, tentatively called Rainbow Child (but he shared he may call it Skittles), where he discusses "my transition as a parent, going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance."
Marlon believes that his routine could help parents like him
In the interview, he shared his hope that his stand-up special would help fellow parents of transgender kids who are also on their journey as parents.
"I think there's a lot of parents out there that need that message and I know I'm dealing with it," he said. "It was a very painful situation for me, but man, it's one of the best hours I could ever imagine."
He admittedly still stumbles, but he is making a serious effort to be the best parent he can
Marlon admitted that one of the things he still struggles with is Kai's changing pronouns. During the interview, he fumbled between the use of they, he, and she, but acknowledged the missteps.
"They know. They know I love them. They see me try and they're like, 'I'm happy,'" he shared, explaining that regardless of his mistakes, he still loves his child unconditionally.
Marlon has the right perspective as the parent of a transgender child: respect
"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," Marlon revealed. "The more you know yourself, the more you live your truth, the happier your existence."
Marlon believes that instilling your child with confidence begins at home, saying, "If they can't get that in a household with their father and their mother, how the f— do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence?"
He also shared that he's performed early versions of Rainbow Child in front of older men in the hopes of changing minds.
"We can't have our old ways and expect to do new things, so please embrace the new," he said.
People are praising Marlon for the way he is showing up for his son
On X (formerly Twitter), many people are circulating clips of the interview, praising Marlon for the way he speaks about loving his child.
"What an incredible man and excellent parent. Wow!" one person wrote.
"This is beautiful. And the fact that this is coming from a BLACK FATHER makes is more beautiful❤️ ," another said.
"Love this. The type of dad I strive to be everyday."
"This is beautiful & this is the direction, support and affirming queer people should receive from their parents. ️⚧️✊ ️ "
