Annette Bening defends trans youth outside Supreme Court, citing her trans son as inspiration

American Beauty star Annette Bening recently spoke in defence of trans youth outside the Supreme Court in the United States, citing her trans son, Stephen, as her inspiration to fight for 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 said outside the courthouse. “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.”

Bening’s remarks came during a rally related to the case of United States v. Jonathan Skrmetti, which addresses Tennessee’s law prohibiting gender transition procedures for trans children.

In her remarks, Bening spoke about having a trans child.

“I think the greatest gift of my life is to have kids and to have a transgender child has made me so much more interesting. So much more wise,” she claimed.

“And for the Supreme Court justices, I encourage them to talk to their kids. Their grandkids. Their nieces and nephews. Because I’ll bet if they really sit down and ask them, ‘Do you know trans kids around you? Do you have any non-binary friends?’ They’re going to say yes. And they’re going to say that this is part of the beautiful rainbow of human beings everywhere,” she added.