Liev Schreiber is opening up about his 16-year-old daughter, Kai, who is transgender.
The “Ray Donovan” star talked to Variety about the teen joining him and his wife, Taylor, for the Ali Forney Center’s A Place at the Table Gala being held Friday night in New York City. The center provides housing and support for homeless LGBTQ youth. The goal of the event is to “make a lasting impact and continue our mission to uplift and empower young people in need,” according to the center’s social media.
Schreiber revealed that his daughter never actually came out to him and her mother, actress Naomi Watts, as trans.
“Kai was always who Kai is. But I suppose the most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns,” he said. “To be honest with you, it didn’t feel like that big of a deal to me only because Kai had been so feminine for so long.”
He had words of praise for his daughter, who has modeled for Valentino.
“Kai is such a fighter,” he said. “It’s important that she goes, ‘Hey, I am trans,’ and, ‘Look at me.’”
When asked if he had any advice for other parents with trans children, Schreiber said, “I don’t know the answer for your kid.”
“I don’t know what it’s like for you to be a trans dad. I don’t know how you were brought up,” he said. “I don’t know what religion you encountered or what your spirituality is. And for me to tell you what I think about my kid feels like an overstep.”
He then added, “I guess if I would say anything to someone who’s having trouble with their trans teen or their adolescent trans kid it’s ‘Teenagers are a headache. They’re hard.’”
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re trans or not because you’ll come out of this,” he said. “But a trans teen is going to be a teen. They’re such a pain so much of the time, and Kai is as feisty and outspoken as they come.”
Schreiber said he tries not to “dwell” on the current political climate, which includes the Supreme Court recently ruling that the Trump administration can enforce a ban on transgender service members in the military.
“To some degree, I feel like I don’t want to overcook that fear or that anxiety,” the actor said. “There’s enough in the world to be anxious and afraid about.”
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