Hollywood has always had a complicated relationship with their LGBTQ+ stars. Since long before the industry's Golden Age, gay actors have contributed to cinema in every capacity. However, it hasn't been easy for them, and there was even a time when producers arranged fake marriages for queer actors to quell any rumors. Luckily, things are better today, and celebrities feel more comfortable coming out, whether it's on behalf of themselves, their parents, or their children. Keep scrolling to see the A-listers most people don't realize were raised by LGBTQ+ moms and dads.
Judy Garland
Rumors about her father's sexuality followed Judy Garland and her family throughout her life. Originally from Minnesota, the family ended up moving after people began talking about her father hitting on other men. Garland herself would be linked back to her father's sexuality after making it big and starring in The Wizard of Oz. After her role, some people began referring to her as "the Elvis of homosexuals" or a very famous gay icon.
While there isn't much known for sure about Garland's thoughts on the subject, we do know that two of her husbands cheated on her with other men after she married.
Marvin Gaye
It's not remembered very well now, but Marvin Gaye and his father had a tumultuous relationship. Along with allegations that Marvin Gaye's father beat him, rumors about his father's sexual orientation followed the family around well into adulthood. Once, when asked about her husband's sexual orientation, Gaye's mother told reporters that he would sometimes wear her clothes and dress up. Gaye also reportedly added an "e" to his last name to distance himself from rumors concerning his father's sexual orientation.
Sadly, the two would never reconcile, and after a fight one night, Marvin Gaye Sr. ended up shooting and killing his son. He was charged with first-degree murder and ended up getting a six-year suspended sentence, along with probation.
Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli comes from Hollywood royalty. Her mother was Judy Garland, and her father was Vincente Minnelli. Her father was reportedly openly gay while living in New York but felt pressured to hide his sexuality when he moved out west to Hollywood. He ended up marrying Judy Garland, but he would eventually get caught having an affair with another man, and the two ended up filing for divorce not long after.
Liza has said that she credits her father for her ability to believe in herself and dream big. Vincente passed away in California in 1986 at the age of 83.
Anne Heche
Anne Heche talked extensively about her life growing up and the issues she had with both her father and her mother. She said that her father was bisexual and that he sexually abused her when she was a child. Heche, who was in a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres, has also spoken about issues she had with her mother's work. Reportedly, her mother was a counselor who opened a clinic to "cure" homosexuality.
Heche's father died from AIDS in 1983. In her memoir, Heche wrote that her father regularly sang in their church choir but that he was a closeted homosexual.
Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel is a renowned cartoonist who grew up with a gay father. She even once incorporated her experience growing up with her father into one of her cartoons. Fun Home was a graphic memoir that explored her own life and that of her father as the two were getting comfortable with their own sexualities. It was so good that it was eventually turned into a Broadway musical at one point.
Sadly, Bechdel's father ended up committing suicide when he was only 44 years old by stepping out into oncoming traffic and being hit by a truck. The incident is also included in the graphic memoir.
Natasha Richardson
Natasha Richardson's father was a rather accomplished actor who even managed to win an Oscar once. However, he never told the world that he was actually bisexual, probably to avoid being blacklisted in Hollywood. Richardson's father was an inspiration for her, and according to her, he encouraged his daughter to seek out true happiness in life by not being afraid to make hard choices when they eventually come.
Unfortunately, the Richardson family ended up suffering from tragedy after tragedy. Her father died in 1991 after getting AIDS. Richardson herself passed away nearly two decades after suffering a brain injury during a ski accident.
Vanessa Redgrave
The Redgrave family is a British family that's somewhat of an acting dynasty. Natasha Richardson and many others were a part of the family, as was Vanessa Redgrave, Michael Redgrave's daughter. There were always rumors concerning her father's sexuality, but he never ended up coming out in public. Still, he did plan on coming out in his biography before the final draft ended up cutting that part of his life out.
Long after his death, rumors concerning Michael's sexuality appeared again, only this time they claimed that he had a relationship with his daughter's husband. However, Vanessa's daughter strongly objected and said the rumors weren't true.
Dorothy Dandridge
It's not uncommon for children to follow in their parent's footsteps, and there are entire families who enter into showbiz. However, Dorothy Dandridge's mother took it to another level and forced her children to practice performance for hours on end. Dandridge's mother and her female partner both had high hopes for the children. It ended up paying off as Dandridge eventually became the first Black actor to receive an Oscar nomination.
Not only did she break barriers in Hollywood, but she was also the first Black woman to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine. And she owes it all to those hours spent practicing on stage.
Jennifer Grey
If you're a fan of the movie Dirty Dancing, then you probably know Jennifer Grey. During an interview with People in 2015, she talked about how proud she was of her father. He'd recently come out as gay at the age of 82. He'd spent decades feeling like he had to hide a part of himself from the rest of the world, but he was finally free to be who he really was.
Jennifer's father is Joel Grey, an accomplished actor and singer who's won a Tony Award, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award, among others. In 2023, Jennifer presented her dad with a lifetime achievement award during a teary ceremony at the Tony's.
Rene Russo
Rene Russo's father left the family when she was only two years old. Usually, that means that the mother is forced to care for her children alone and without any support. Luckily, that wasn't the case here. Russo has credited her mother and her lesbian friends with helping raise her and turn her into the woman she is today. It's also one of the reasons she's never felt ashamed to talk about her mother's sexuality.
Russo has since retired from acting to focus more on her personal life, but her career is still remembered as one of the most extraordinary of the past couple of decades.
Steve Forbes
The Forbes family is one of the most prestigious in the northeast, so when a magazine outed Steve Forbes's father, Malcolm Forbes, it made some waves. Malcolm passed away in 1990, and not long after, a story was run about his sexual orientation. Malcolm was a politician and the founder of Forbes Magazine. In response, Steve said, "you don't have to approve of something that someone does to have compassion and love."
Steve ran for president a couple of times, once in the 1990s and then again in 2000. His father is still remembered as a very successful publisher and businessman.
Ally Sheedy
The Breakfast Club is one of the most iconic movies of all time, and it makes us love it even more to know that one of its stars, Ally Sheedy, is a big supporter of LGBTQ rights. Sheedy's daughter and mother are gay, and she's often come to their defense, not only when it comes to the public but also when it comes to their own family. She's said that there's really one thing people need to concern themselves with when it comes to family members, "do you love them or not?"
She undoubtedly gets her good values partly from her mother, who worked as a literary agent and was known for her social activism and supporting women and civil rights issues.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro is one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood, but few people know that his father was gay. Robert De Niro Sr. was an artist (talent must run in the family) who has since passed away. However, in a tribute, the actor made a short film about his dad and shared some of his journal entries with the world. One read: "I am past the point where I can walk the streets looking for a gallery or a lover."
If you're interested, the film is called Remembering the Artist, and it's a touching tribute to the man who raised De Niro and instilled in him his love for acting.
Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, so when she came out to the world during an acceptance speech, it was quite the news. Foster's own mother was LGBTQ, and she and her partner raised Foster together as she was growing up. She's said that before that, she valued her privacy but that she wanted to officially come out as a nod and thank you to her mother.
During the speech, she said, “I hope you’re not disappointed that there won’t be a big coming-out speech tonight because I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago, back in the Stone Age.” The next few A-listers may not have LGBTQ parents, but have LGBTQ children.
Jennifer Lopez
Now, let's take a look at stars who are parents to LGBTQ kids. The iconic Jennifer Lopez has never directly spoken about her children's sexual orientation, but she has hinted at it. She's said that one of her twins, Emme Muñiz, prefers to be addressed as "they." During public comments, she said, "I ask them to sing with me all the time, but they won't." She likely wants to leave the decision to come out completely up to her children, which is understandable.
She added, "They cost me when they come out, but they're worth every single penny because they're my favorite duet partner of all time." The two then sang a duet. After the comments, fans widely praised Lopez for using gender-neutral terms.
Alec Baldwin
Usually, it's the parent who passes down advice and wisdom to their children, but in the case of Alec Baldwin and his daughter, Ireland, it was his daughter who opened his eyes to a different way of thinking. He's said that once Ireland told him when you really love someone that you love that person, and not their gender. This stuck with him and opened his mind to viewing sexuality as more of a spectrum.
Baldwin has since repeated his daughter's line on different shows and podcasts. When the two were originally having the discussion, Ireland was seeing another woman, which may have sparked the conversation.
Barbra Streisand
Another big name, Barbra Streisand, is reportedly very supportive of her son. Jason Gould, like his mother, is also a singer, and the two even once recorded a duet and spoke about how much they care for one another. Gould has been out since the 1980s, but he isn't married, despite a media story once claiming he was. "It was just so grotesque to me that they could make up a story like that and claim they had seen pictures of my wedding to a man."
He added that he felt like they just published the story in an attempt to shame him, "I never was hiding the fact that I was gay. I never felt like I needed to come out because I never felt like I was in, you know? I'm pretty comfortable with my sexuality."
Cher
Cher has long been known for her support of social issues. When her son announced that he was transitioning, it wasn't long before the headlines and fans began to bash him. However, Cher was supportive the entire time and told him to do whatever made him happy. The two also talked about how things weren't exactly easy at first, despite Cher's support, mainly because the two were worried about one another.
"It's hard to lose one child to get a new one, especially so late. I think that was the hard thing for me. I don't think it was the transition. It was waiting to see who the person would be and would be so much different than the person that was before them," she said.
Marcia Gay
When it comes to supportive parents, actor Marcia Gay has been one of the best. Her son, Hudson Scheel, is openly gay and often speaks about how supportive Gay has been. Scheel and Gay even attended the Family Equality Council Impact Awards, where the proud mom spoke about how important it is to treat everyone with respect, especially when it comes to being a parent. She's also said that she cares deeply about Scheel's future.
Gay's other two children have also come out, and during an event to support drag, she said, "What drives me is because it's right, and what's happening right now is wrong."
Sting
Sting is another rockstar who's been really supportive of his children when it comes to their sexuality. But that shouldn't be too surprising, considering that he once said that he believes everyone is gay to some extent or that sexuality is a spectrum. Sting's daughter came out at the age of 27, announcing that she was in a relationship with another woman. It didn't take long for both her parents to show their support.
Their daughter said that while she had never officially come out before, she was pretty sure that everyone was already aware, including all of her friends and family. She added that nobody ever really asked.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson's son EJ came out to his parents at a pretty young age. EJ was reportedly around 17 years old when he told his parents about his sexuality, but they were totally supportive. Johnson has said publically that the only thing that matters as a parent is that you're there for your children and that you love them no matter what. EJ has also found some fame of his own in recent years.
He starred in Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, and he also works as a host on entertainment shows. He's also heavily involved in a couple of different businesses, including his father's.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp seems like he'd be a really cool dad, and not just because of his iconic role in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. No, he seems like he'd be a really cool dad because it turns out that he is. When his daughter came out, he responded by showing up to the Ellen Degeneres Show wearing a "We Are You" t-shirt, which is a nod to LGBTQ rights.
Famously, Depp has really good relationships with all of his children, and he's said that he talks about everything with them and that he hopes they can talk with him about anything that's on their mind.
Warren Beatty and Annette Bening
Warren Beatty is an actor and director who's pretty well-known in Hollywood circles. He's played in films like Bonnie and Clyde and Dick Tracy. However, he and his family decided to keep their son's transition private. Stephen Ira Beatty came out as trans when he was 14, and while the family didn't talk about it then, they have talked about it more recently. "He's a revolutionary, a genius, and my hero, as are all my children," Warren said.
The reclusive actor may not say much and shy away from the spotlight, but he made it a point to make sure everyone knew he was going to be there for his son no matter what.
Cynthia Nixon
Sex in the City star Cynthia Nixon is herself married to a woman. She's also known for her support of LGBTQ causes, so when her son came out as trans, it wasn't a huge surprise when she immediately came out to voice her support. Still, it was nice to see, and we're sure it was appreciated. During an interview, she said that she struggled with using the correct pronouns at first but that, eventually, she got used to it.
“Before I ever had an inkling my kid might be trans, I read a really extensive article… [about] all of these parents of pre-pubescent kids who were really struggling with this,” Nixon said.
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas is one of the biggest names in sports. However, not many people know that he has a gay son. Zeke Thomas officially came out around 2013, but he made sure to mention that his parents always knew and that they've always been very supportive. Isiah frequently posts pictures online of him and Zeke just hanging out and doing father/son stuff. Zeke has also talked openly about experiencing sexual assault in the hope that it garners more attention for men who are victims of assault.
When he told his parents about the incidents, he said they were saddened but very supportive, "They let me know they're here for me and [said], 'We're gonna do everything in our power to help you through this journey,'" he told Good Morning America.
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne
You'd expect the son or daughter of a rockstar to be taught to be open and respectful of people no matter their sexuality, and that was exactly how it was for Kelly Osbourne. Both her mother, Sharon and her father, Ozzy, raised her to just be herself. She's said that she thinks sexuality is a spectrum and that everyone sits on that spectrum and is gay to some degree.
Kelly has also stated that she plans on loving whoever, no matter their gender. Her parents are happy for her, and so long as her partner treats her well, who cares about their gender?
Vanna White
Vanna White is one of America's most iconic game show staples, but if you only know her from Wheel of Fortune, then you may not know that she has a gay son. Nikko Santo Pietro has been with his partner since around 2013, and he's credited his mom with being extremely supportive. In fact, he's said that she brought him up to be open-minded and to try and be comfortable in his own skin.
The two are very close and Pietro works both as a chef and as an artist, with plans to maybe enter into real estate one day if everything works out.
Anne Rice
Author Anne Rice's novels are beloved by millions, many of whom will be happy to know that she's a firm supporter of LGBTQ rights. So much so that she left the church after becoming fed up with their stance on homosexuality. Rice's son is gay and she's spoken publically about her support for him. The two co-authored their own horror novel. During an interview with NPR, she talked about how she's always been a supporter of the LGBTQ community.
Sadly, she passed away a couple of years ago, but her books continue to inspire, especially "Interview With The Vampire," which was turned into a movie featuring Brad Pitt.
Billy Ray Cyrus
Being one of the most popular country singers of all time, as well as being pretty religious, you might not pick Billy Ray Cyrus as a backer of the LGBTQ community. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. When his daughter, Miley Cyrus, came out as pansexual, he made it a point to show his support publically. "Listen, it's all about love and light. Forget the negativity and the haters. She's rocking and rolling and having a good time. What the world needs is love. There's too much hate... The world needs positive influences," he said during an interview.
Miley has said that it took her a while to fully understand her own sexuality and that she wasn't content identifying as bisexual, since she doesn't really like labels to begin with.
Cybill Shepherd
If Cybill Shepherd receiving the Golden Gate Award at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation doesn't tell you that she's a supporter of LGBTQ rights, then maybe the fact that both her children are gay will. Clementine Ford officially came out in 2009, while Ariel Shepherd came out in 2010. Cybill has spoken publically about her support for her children multiple times, as well as her support for the community.
While her daughters officially came out in 2009 and 2010, it was no secret that they identified at LGBTQ, and they've said that they would bring home men and women all of the time.
Ally Sheedy
We've already talked a bit about Ally Sheedy's mother and her sexuality, but Sheedy also has a son who's transgender. Not long after he came out as trans, Sheedy said, "I want him to be able to do what he wants to do with his life and have the freedom to make his own choices and surround himself with a loving, supportive community," during an interview back in 2022.
However, considering her own experiences, that shouldn't be too surprising. Sheedy has always been really supportive of LGBTQ rights, whether it's had to do with her mother or her son.
Sally Field
When Sally Field's 30-year-old came out, Field was 100% behind him. The two are very close, and Fields has always made it known that she supports LGBTQ issues, even before her son officially came out. In an open letter, her son spoke about his mother's support, saying "She has taught me that life, like art, is about picking yourself up and dusting yourself off, like she has done countless times."
Her son's coming out even inspired her to make a movie that explores themes of love and family, loosely based on she and her son's own experiences with the topics.
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle's son came out to her when he was still only a teenager. Carlisle counts herself as a supporter of the LGBTQ community, but she said she was still worried for him when he first told her. She had seen how the world treats homosexuality, and she didn't want her own son to be looked down on or discriminated against. However, in the end, she knew that the only thing that was important was his happiness.
“The first thing that I think of as a mom is what kind of world is he going to have to face, as a young gay man,” she said.
Sade
Sade's legacy and influence on British music is astonishing. However, she's also somewhat of a recluse and enjoys keeping her private life private. Her only child, on the other hand, loves to share. Izaak came out and announced to the world that he was transitioning. In turn, Sade also came out and said that she was supportive of her son's decision. In 2021, Izaak married Emily Margaret Shakeshaft after the two met on Instagram.
They struck up a conversation after Emily congratulated him on his transition, and eventually, the two met and fell in love. Their wedding was held in Hawaii after the pandemic.
Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond had grown up Mormon, but she decided to put her religious teachings aside when her daughter came out. It didn't take her long to make the decision, and during an interview with ABC, she said, "I don't think God made one color flower. I think he made many." She's since come out and said that she fully supports LGBTQ rights and thinks everyone deserves fair treatment no matter their sexual orientation.
"I believe in [my daughter's] civil rights, as a mother. I think that my daughter deserves everything that she desires in life. She's a good girl. She's a wonderful child," she added.
Tori and Dean McDermott
Canadian actor Dean McDermott and his wife Tori have not one but two children who've come out. Their first child came out as gay, and a few years later, their other child came out as transgender when they were around 15. The McDermotts were supportive of both children and they've since posted photos of themselves at pride events, celebrating with their children. He's also talked about it openly with media and on different podcasts.
However, he admits that his children would probably have it easier if they were straight. “I just think, you know, you want the best for your kid," he's said.
Busy Philipps
When Busy Phillips's daughter was only 10, she came out to her mom. Not long after, Phillips went on her podcast and made the announcement. "For those of you who are my friends listening at home, this is the first you're hearing that Birdie is gay and out," she said, adding that she was still getting used to using her daughter's preferred pronouns. However, she was trying to get better at it.
Before she made the announcement, she asked for her daughter's permission, and she said she was 100% fine with it and that she didn't care who knew that she was gay.
Gloria Vanderbilt
This is probably one of the most obvious ones on this list. Everyone knows Anderson Cooper, but not everyone knows that his mother is actually Gloria Vanderbilt. Yes, that's right, Gloria Vanderbilt from the famed Vanderbilt family, which was one of the wealthiest families in the U.S. at one point in time. Vanderbilt was an acclaimed socialite and artist back in the 1970s, and apparently, she was also a free thinker because she's been incredibly supportive of her son.
Cooper officially came out in 2012, although he had been out in his private life for a while. Interstingly, Cooper has spoken about his distinguished family lineage and said he's always tried to distance himself from the Vanderbilt name.