Marlon Wayans Explained Why Openly Supporting His Transgender Child Was A No-Brainer Decision For Him
Marlon Wayans is sharing the ways he went through a transition of his own when his child came out as trans, and why he'll never stop supporting them.
It was a sibling affair on the recent episode of the IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson podcast, as Michelle and her older brother Craig were joined by Marlon and his older brother Damon Wayans. They discussed the incomparable legacy their family created in Hollywood, childhood stories, and the wisdom they've gained from raising kids of their own.
Near the end of their chat, Marlon spoke candidly about parenting his trans son Kai, the challenges he faced, and why the love he has for his child never changed.
For those who don't know, the actor and comedian is the proud father of three children: Kai Zackery, 24, Shawn Howell, 23, and Axl, 2.
"Their transition taught me what real, unconditional love was," Marlon said. "When they went through the transition, I actually went through the transition of denial to complete acceptance. And it took me a week to get there."
"What I've learned as a parent is that for you to stop loving your child because of their choice and their life, that's a poor reflection on you. When there's people that go, 'I'm not going to associate with you because you do that,' or 'This is against God,' it like, listen, I'm not here to judge. I'm not God. Only God can judge."
Marlon jokingly added that if they reached heaven's gates and God didn't let his trans son in, he'd shave Kai's beard off and sneak him in through the back.
"I'm going to love my baby," Marlon continued. "I'm a father. I'm always going to defend them. I'm always going to protect them. I'm always going to protect them. There's nothing anybody could ever tell me. I could lose fans...good. I lost people who are small-minded, small-hearted, and self-loathing, so goodbye. For every one I lose, I gain 150 more."
Damon chimed in, admitting he doesn't always know how to treat Kai but is always open to being taught. The My Wife and Kids star said that as Kai's uncle, he'll always love him no matter what, and he never wants to make Kai feel like he's being judged. He reiterated that he honestly just doesn't know what to do in certain situations, and even questioned if he should approach Kai with the same mannerisms and playful tough love that he gives his other nephews.
Marlon then spoke on the importance of patience. He said it was "a process" to adapt at times, because he was so used to calling Kai by the name Marlon and his ex gave to them at birth, and using she/her pronouns. But Marlon said it all comes down to respect.
"That's what they want and that's their wishes, respect their wishes. I know that the same child is in there. They're brilliant. And that's all that I really care about — they're kindhearted, they're really funny, they have a great sense of humor, and extremely intelligent...those are the things I'm proud of."
"Are you a good person? I don't care about your sexuality, and all of these other things, your gender, your associations, I care that you are a good-hearted person."
But this deep-rooted support is nothing new for Marlon. From being an ally since the beginning, to speaking out against hate speech from Elon Musk against his own trans daughter Vivian, Marlon takes any and every opportunity to show how much he loves his children.
Now that's the true meaning of unconditional love! You can watch a clip of the conversation below, and check out the full IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson episode here.
Marlon Wayans says his transgender child's transition taught him what unconditional love is, and reveals it led to him losing people who were small-minded.
(🎥 Michelle Obama/ imo podcast/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/nGEJQiZydu
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) April 30, 2025
IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson / Twitter: @ArtOfDialogue_
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