Culture

Warren Beatty: My transgender son is my hero

Oct 07 2016
Written by Nick Duffy

Actor Warren Beatty has spoken about his transgender son Stephen.

The fourteen-time Oscar nominated filmmaker opened up this week in an interview with Vanity Fair.

In it, he speaks about eldest son Stephen, now 24, who transitioned a decade ago as a young teen.

The Bonnie and Clyde star said: “He’s a revolutionary, a genius, and my hero, as are all my children.”

Vanity Fair notes: “Just as Beatty was something of a sexual revolutionary in the years emerging from the strict mores of the 1950s, so his firstborn child is also a revolutionary.

“Stephen, who is challenging cultural norms of sexuality, is an activist for the transgender community.

“A poet and writer, he posted an ‘Answer to Seven Questions’ about his gender identity on the ‘WeHappyTrans’ Web site. One is struck by Stephen’s insouciant intelligence—he manages to be playful, erudite, and eloquent all at once.”

Speaking about his identity previously in a video for WeHappyTrans, Stephen said: “I identify as a trans man, a faggy queen, a homosexual, a queer, a nerd fighter, a writer, an artist and a guy who needs a haircut.”

He also spoke about the advantages of transitioning, saying: “It’s rare that my gender is misread [now that I’ve transitioned] based on my fem presentation, which I really appreciate.

“And that’s totally a privilege, being on hormones and being perceived, being read that way – as male, even though I’m presenting in a fem way. It’s totally a privilege.
“It’s nice to finally have my identity be legible to people.”