When introducing Karter to the world, the actor playing King Ezekiel on 'The Walking Dead' declares his commitment to support his son unconditionally throughout his journey.
- June 16, 2020
AceShowbiz - Khary Payton is a proud father to a transgender son. On the same day Supreme Court backed legislation that offered protection to LGBTQ workers, the actor known for his portrayal of King Ezekiel on "The Walking Dead" came forward with a story of his son, Karter.
"This my kid," the 48-year-old actor began his Instagram post, which featured a photo of his 11-year-old child, on Monday, June 15. "One of the most happy, well-adjusted individuals I've ever known. My son, Karter. Karter with a K because it reminded him of my name. He chose it. You see, he was born female but has always identified as a boy."
Khary went on to spill that the idea to go public via social media came from Karter himself. "[Karter] thought it would be cool if I announced it on social media," he shared. "I told him that there would be so many supporters but also a lot of jerks who would be harsh. He said, 'Yeah, I know about trolls, daddy. I can handle trolls.' "
Expressing his admiration for his son, the Dr. Terrell Jackson on "General Hospital" gushed, "Man, there is nothing more beautiful than watching your child feel the joy of exploring what it means to be true to themselves." He continued, "This is his journey, and I am here for it. I hope you all have the opportunity to feel the unquenchable love that I am feeling right now."
Khary was not the first celebrity to go public with full support for his young transgender child. Back in 2019, Charlize Theron revealed in an interview that her first child, Jackson, identified himself as a girl. "I thought she was a boy too," she opened up to Daily Mail, "until she looked at me when she was 3 years old and said, 'I am not a boy!' "
In February 2020 during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", retired NBA star Dwyane Wade came forward with confirmation that his 12-year-old child, Zaya, is a transgender. He later explained in another interview the reason why he decided to speak publicly about Zaya's gender identity.
"Well, we're not the only family that deals with all the things we've spoken about," the 38-year-old explained to Entertainment Tonight. "We're not the only family that's had to deal with gender expression, gender identity, sexuality, with their child." He added, "This is the platform that God gave me and my family... So, we use it."
