Annette Bening delivers moving speech about her ‘remarkable’ trans son during Supreme Court rally

Nyad actress Annette Bening, who has four children with actor Warren Beatty, delivered a powerful speech outside the supreme court, as justices heard arguments in the landmark US v Skrmetti case.

The case concerns a legal challenge to a Tennessee ban on trans healthcare which was approved by lawmakers last year.

After the law was passed, a number of trans youngsters and their families brought legal action against the state, supported by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Lambda Legal and lawyers from Akin Gump Strause Hauer & Feld.

Supreme court justices will determine if trans youth in Tennessee have a constitutional right to access gender-affirming healthcare, a decision which whilst specifically affecting The Volunteer State will have legal precedent for similar laws in other states making it a pivotal moment in the fight for trans rights.

6) Actress Annette Bening described having a transgender teen.

"I learned that what these kids and families need is judicious counciling, sound medical advice, and an atmopshere of calm, and love, and acceptance."

"Our trans kid, and all trans folks need to be seen and heard." pic.twitter.com/hfKvrQ0PV5

— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 4, 2024

Addressing a crowd of trans folk and their allies outside the court in Washington, the Hollywood actress – who has a trans son – said trans rights are the “civil rights issue of our era”.

“I have four beautiful children – and I’m allowed to brag about my children because they’re mine – and my eldest is a remarkable trans man, an extraordinary human being,” she told the crowd.

“As a well meaning parent, I didn’t always know how to support my teenager – my vulnerable teenager who was just trying to live his truth – but you know what? I learned. I learned that what these kids and families need is judicious counselling, sound medical advice and an atmosphere of calm and love and acceptance.”

Bening, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of lesbian long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, went on to say that for someone who is hearing her speech but has not met a trans person, “you have”.

“Trans folks are everywhere. They’re your doctors in your emergency rooms. They’re your firefighters. They’re your teachers, your librarians, the store clerks, the clerks in the bookstores. Everywhere in this world trans folks exist and it is our responsibility to support and love them,” she said to a cheering crowd.

“There’s nothing to be frightened of. Everyone just wants to live in freedom, safety and dignity.”

Annette Bening has four children with fellow actor Warren Beatty: Stephen Ira Beatty, Benjamin Beatty, Ella Beatty and Isabel Beatty. 34-year-old Stephen is trans, and both parents are deeply supportive of him.

In a 2023 interview, Bening spoke about Stephen, saying: “I am incredibly proud of him, and he has carved his own way. He’s someone I do admire, and I’ve learned a lot from when he first came out. … I didn’t always know what to do, and I didn’t always make the right choices because of my own ignorance, but we got through it.”

In a 2016 Vanity Fair interview, Warren Beatty said: “He’s a revolutionary, genius, and hero, like all my children.”

Earlier this week, the case heard arguments from legal representatives opposing the ban on gender-affirming care with Chase Strangio – the first out trans lawyer to present a case before the supreme court – arguing Tennessee was taking away “the only treatment that relieved years of suffering” for trans youth.

US solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar, supporting Strangio’s argument, said the law was inconsistent because non-trans individuals are still able to use puberty blockers.

“The law restricts medical care only when provided to induce physical effects inconsistent with birth sex,” she said.

“Someone assigned female at birth can’t receive medication to live as a male, but someone assigned male can. If you change the individual sex, it changes the result. That’s a facial sex classification, full stop, and a law like that can’t stand on bare rationality.”

Matthew Rice, arguing in support of the ban, sought to differentiate between medical treatments as part of gender-affirming care and medical treatments for other purposes.

“There has to be a medical purpose for these drugs,” he said. “All [the plaintiffs’] arguments rest on conflating different medical purposes.”

The case continues.