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Marlon Wayans attends the Amazon Studios' World Premiere Of "AIR" - Arrivals at Regency Village Theatre on March 27, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
"I lost people who are small-minded, small-hearted, and self-loathing, so goodbye," Wayans said about losing fans after his son came out as trans.
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Marlon Wayans should be winning a Father of the Year award after opening up about his “complete acceptance” of his trans son Kai.
This week, the White Chicks star appeared on the IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson podcast alongside his brother Damon Wayans. Toward the end of the April 30 episode, Wayans talked about his son’s transition and the way it changed his thinking.
"Their transition taught me what real, unconditional love was. When they went through the transition, I actually went through the transition,” the 52-year-old comedian said, per Buzzfeed. “I went from denial to complete acceptance, and it took me a week to get there.”
Wayans said that judging your child for who they are is a “poor reflection on you” and isn’t your place.
"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's like, listen, I'm not here to judge. I'm not God. Only God can judge,” he explained.
But if God were to judge his son, Wayans said he’d just sneak Kai in the back. “If that’s a mistake and we get to heaven and God don’t let my child in, I’m going to shave a beard and sneak them in through the back.”
Wayans is also unbothered by anyone who stops being a fan of his after learning about his trans son.
"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.”
Wayans first opened up about Kai’s transition back in 2023, and since then, he has proven himself to be an LGBTQ+ ally and fierce defender of his trans son.
He has spoken openly about his love for his son on The Breakfast Club, on social media, and in a comedy special where he talked about Kai coming out as trans. Earlier this year, he also got into a heated fight on X (formerly Twitter) with Soulja Boy, where he epically shut down the rapper after he made a series of homophobic and transphobic comments.
The father of three admitted that right after Kai came out as trans, he struggled to get their pronouns correct (Kai goes by they/them) and use their new name, but working to get it right is about respect.
"That's what they want and that's their wishes, respect their wishes,” he said. “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.”
For Wayans, the most important thing is whether or not his kids are good people. "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,” he explained.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
