Marlon Wayans Opens Up About Accepting His Child’s Transition, ‘I Want My Kids To Be Free’

Comedian Marlon Wayans spoke openly about his journey to accepting the gender identity of his son, Kai, who is trans.

Comedian Marlon Wayans got personal during an interview on The Breakfast Club on Nov. 10 when he shared details about his journey to accepting his son Kai’s gender identity. Buzzfeed reports that Wayans’ new comedy special Skittles or Rainbow Child chronicles the “painful” road he traveled to embrace all of his children equally.

“I have a daughter that transitioned into a son. My daughter Amai is now Kai, and so, I talk about the transition,” Wayans said. “Not his…their transition but my transition as a parent, going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance.” The Don’t Be A Menace star also shared that he still struggles with Kai’s preferred “they/them” pronouns but works hard to “respect their wishes.” For Wayans, the intention is to help others navigate similar circumstances.

“There’s a lot of parents out there that need to have that message,” he continued. “I know, I’m dealing with it. It was a very painful situation for me, but man, [the special] is one of the best, funniest hours I probably could ever imagine.”

With his admission, Wayans joins the likes of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, who were also vocal about the decision their daughter, Zaya, made to transition and how it helped them not only discover their own biases but find new ways to love and support their children.

“I want my kids to be free. I want them to be free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves,” Wayans said. “The more you know yourself, the more you can govern yourself, the more you live your truth, the happier your existence. So, if they can’t get that in the household with their father and their mother, how the f*ck do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence? And I’m just so proud of them for being them.”

As Black men work to push past the ideologies of patriarchy and make room for new gender and sexual expression, fathers like Wade and Wayans are often met with community support as Black LGBTQ+ youth continue to face hurdles in society at large. When the comedian’s comments began to circulate on social media, many applauded his transparency on the situation and his obvious love and respect for Kai.

“This is beautiful & this is the direction, support, and affirming queer people should receive from their parents,” one X user commented. “That right there is unconditional love,” said another.