Which out and proud celebrities also call themselves parents? Some of your absolute favorite queer folks keep warm homes with beautiful families and adorable children. These families represent the diversity of the country and are an example to many LGBTQ+ people who one day want to start a family of their own. These parents act as role models for the community showing others that they too can parent their own way.
Same-sex couples and those going at it alone all make appearances on this list of some of our favorite LGBTQ+ parents. Let’s take a look at some of our very favorite queer parents and their charming families!
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Neil Patrick Harris and Chef David Burtka have twins, Gideon and Harper who were born in 2010. Harris and Burtka have been together since 2004.
“We really, really wanted kids,” NPH told Oprah. “We really had thought it through financially, emotionally, relationship-wise. We didn’t just accidentally get pregnant and decide that now we need to make this work. These kids come into our world with nothing but love.”
Karamo Brown
Queer Eye‘s Karamo Brown has two sons, Jason and Chris.
“Any parent who says parenting came easily to them is not being honest with themselves. Parenting is hard.” Brown told Parents. Even after 10 years of parenting, Brown says he still learns something new every day.
BD Wong
BD Wong has a son, Jackson Foo Wong who he co-parents his son with partner, Richert Schnorr. Jackson is also queer and he came out at the age of fifteen.
Elton John and David Furnish
Sir Elton Hercules John CH CBE is a gay icon who is married to Canadian filmmaker David Furnish. The couple shares two sons Zachary, and Elijah from the same surrogate.
“It’s turned out to be a very healing, positive thing in both our lives,” Furnish said about being a dad with John. “Elton is ‘much more mellow with children.'”
Denis O’Hare and Hugo Redwood
Denis O’Hare and Hugo Redwood have a son named Declan. The couple fostered Declan while they waited for the adoption process to finalize. Just before adopting Declan, O’Hare was ecstatic and said:
“We want to adopt and we wanted to adopt for quite a while and we decided we wanted to do it locally and we wanted to do it with a child who is already in the area who needed a home…And our boy was actually born in Queens. He’s not ours yet, he’s a foster child but we’re hoping — we’re on a track to adopt him…It’s great, he’s a beautiful kid and we love him.”
Lee Daniels
Precious director, Lee Daniels is father to twins Clara and Liam whom he adopted. “I took them in, and I raised them and I’m really proud that I did. My partner and I at the time were the first same-sex couple to adopt in Pennsylvania.”
Dan Bucatinsky and Donn Roos
Dan Bucatinsky (from The Comeback) and Donn Roos have two kids, Eliza and Jonah. The actor commented on his discovery of “wiping” in his book Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight?:
“I never imagined there’d be as much wiping as there is. Wiping of everything! Wiping of surfaces, wiping of my own clothes, it’s unbelievable.”
Vern Yip and Craig Koch
Vern Yip is an American interior designer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He periodically appeared on TLC’s Trading Spaces. He and his partner, Craig Koch are parents to Gavin and Vera.
Matt Bomer and Simon Halls
Matt Bomer has been married to Simon Halls since 2011 and they have three children together: Henry, Kit, and Walker. The oldest is 15 and the other two are 11.
Ryan Murphy and David Miller
Ryan Murphy and David Miller have three sons. Their names are Griffin, Logan, and Ford. He discussed how his expectations of fatherhood versus his actual parenting style surprised him with Entertainment Tonight:
“I thought I was going to be the biggest [harda**] ever. I thought I was going to be the great disciplinarian, completely rigid and I am shocked to tell you that I am the opposite. I am the biggest pushover.”
Alec Mapa and Jamie Hebert
Actor Alec Mapa and costume designer, Jamie Hebert have a son named Zion. The couple adopted Zion when he was five-years-old.
Anderson Cooper
CNN News anchor Anderson Cooper welcomed his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper in 2020. He shared the news with an Instagram post that included photos of his beautiful son.
“As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible for me to have a child, and I’m grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son’s birth,” he shared in the caption.
Andy Cohen
Bravo’s Andy Cohen recently lost a nanny to new dad, Anderson Cooper. Cohen’s son Benjamin Allen Cohen was born on February 4, 2019.
“It was incredible,” Cohen said of holding his son for the first time. “I mean, his eyes were open. He was so alert. He was not crying. He was looking at me, and he was looking around the room. He was observing. He was like, ‘Where am I? Who is this? This is interesting.'”
Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent
Interior designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent have two kids. Their names are Poppy and Oskar, which just might be the cutest names ever! On Berkus’ website he described how the experience has changed him:
“Being a dad is the most rewarding, empowering, and fun experience of my life. Also? It’s the most vulnerable I’ve ever been.”
Rosie O’Donnell
Rosie O’Donnell has a total five kids: Chelsea Belle O’Donnell, Parker Jaren O’Donnell, Vivienne Rose O’Donnell, Dakota O’Donnell, and Blake Christopher O’Donnell. Her youngest is twenty years old!
Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef
Ricky Martin has been married to artist Jwan Yosef since 2017. The two captivating dads have a big family with a total of four children.
“It’s very special,” Martin said of fatherhood. “Every day is different, every day is a new question, every day is a new point of view. They’re super smart, it’s incredible.”
Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk
Reporters Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk have been out about their relationship since the birth of their first child Harper in 2013. They welcomed their second daughter, Quinn in 2015.
Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni
Actor and activist Cynthia Nixon is a mother to three children: Samuel “Seph,” Charles, and Max. She’s married to education activist Christine Marinoni. In 2018, Nixon revealed that her oldest child is transgender and that she fully supports him.
Sandra Bernhard
Comedian and actor Sandra Bernhard has a daughter named Cecily who recently graduated from college. “Being a mother has given me insight and wisdom I never dreamed I would process I adore this young woman who teaches me patience and grace everyday,” she wrote of parenthood.
Wanda and Alex Sykes
Comedian Wanda Sykes and her partner Alex Sykes have twins named Olivia and Lucas. Sykes came out publicly in 2008 at a same-sex marriage rally regarding Preposition 8.
“I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked our community was attacked,” she told a group of protestors at the time.
Jillian Michaels and Heidi Rhoades
Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels co-parents with her ex, Heidi Rhoades. They are proud parents to Lukensia, 10, whom they adopted from Haiti, and a son Phoenix, 8.
Clay Aiken and Jaymes Foster
Singer and former American Idol contestant Clay Aiken came out and announced the arrival of his son Parker, now 12, on the cover of People magazine in 2008. The hands-on father, who co-parents Parker with friend Jaymes Foster, is a huge part of his son’s life. “It was probably a week before [the baby’s mother] had to change a diaper at all!” he told Entertainment Tonight in 2008.
Maria Bello
Actor Maria Bello revealed her modern family with the world in a New York Times piece. Bello has a 12-year-old son Jackson from her former relationship with Dan McDermott and is now dating Clare Munn. Though she was nervous to tell Jackson about Munn, her son was very accepting. “Mom, love is love, whatever you are,” he said according to Bello’s article. Now that’s a loving family.
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., known professionally as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger, columnist, media personality, and single dad. He’s father to three children: Mia Alma Lavandeira, Mayte Amor, and Mario Armando Lavandeira III.
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Cat and Jennifer Cora
The Mississippi-born Cat Cora was in a 17-year relationship with Jennifer Cora. The two married in 2013, but split up two years later. They share four sons together: Zoran, 16, Caje, 13, Thatcher, 11, and Nash, 11. She discussed being a working mom with People, saying:
“I worked from home in Santa Barbara for a few weeks but was back on the road about four weeks after Nash was born. If men were the ones to give birth, maternity leave would be a lot longer. And the population would be a lot smaller.”
There you go! A whole bunch of LGBTQ+ parents that never cease to spark joy. We love these celebrity parents and their unique and wonderful families!