Oct 27, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Marlon Wayans speaks to reporters on the red carpet before Dave Chappelle receives the Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019 Photo: Hannah Gaber-USA TODAY via Imagn
Actor Marlon Wayans reveals that, before he was accepting of his transgender son, Kai, he attempted hypnotic conversion therapy on them.
Wayans spoke to Neal Brennan for his podcast, Blocks Podcast, and said that he was not always accepting of his son, and in fact tried multiple different methods to keep Kai from being trans.
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He said, “I tried to hypnotize that b**ch. And I protested against it and I don’t say that with pride. I look back on those actions and I’m ashamed. I was embarrassed the moment I was forced to look in the mirror. I was embarrassed.”
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Hypnotic conversion therapy is one genre of the discredited practice that has resulted in immeasurable harm towards LGBTQ+ individuals. There is no evidence that conversion therapy works, and evidence links the practice with worsened mental health and increased risk for depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
He also said that he attempted to impose “sanctions” on Kai to keep them from transitioning, such as withholding their allowance.
“[Kai] was like, ‘So what? F**k it, I’ll starve,’” Wayans said. “Nothing was working. This is what they wanted to do. I always said I want my kids to be happy. In order to be happy, you’re not gonna please everybody.”
Wayans says that he realized its not his job to try and change his child, it’s his job to love and support his child no matter what.
“This is their life and they should be happy if they do this and if they want to change back or whatever they want to do—it’s not on me to punch down on my child. It’s on me to love my child. Period. That’s all, all I can do is love my child and that’s what I do,” he said.
Wayans has not talked about theses experiences previously, only briefly mentioning his prior ignorance during statements by stating, “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 a household with their father and their mother, how the f**k do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence? And I’m just so proud of them for being them – but that don’t mean that I ain’t got jokes.”
Marlon Wayans is known for starring in hit comedy films like White Chicks (2004), Scary Movie (2000), and Dance Flick (2009). He is most known for starring in the sitcom The Wayan Bros. (1995-1999) with his brother Shawn Wayans and first became famous in the 90s when he appeared on In Living Color, a sketch comedy show created by his brother Keenan Ivory Wayans.
Wayans previously spoke out against transphobia, calling out Elon Musk for not accepting his trans daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson. He told the podcast Club Shay Shay that he’s about to drive his Tesla “off a cliff” because of Musk’s behavior towards Wilson. Musk has deliberately misgendered Wilson, claiming she is “dead” and was “killed by the woke mind virus.”
“I don’t like what he be saying about his trans child. You don’t treat them babies like that, you don’t disown your baby. Love your child!”
During Pride Month, he posted multiple pictures of his child in celebration. When he was met with a bunch of haters in his replies, he said, “As a father of a child in the LGBTQ+ community I show my support. Zero f**ks what people think. If i lost you… GOOD! Your hateful a** never loved me in the first place. How can you love anyone when you’re too busy judging. Some of y’all funny. I’m a troll. I’ll post all day.”
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