Legendary actor Robert De Niro just proved he’s a trans ally by saying what we’re all thinking: transphobia simply doesn’t make any sense.
De Niro’s daughter Airyn recently came out as trans, prompting him to make a statement. “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is,” he told Variety. “I love all my children.”
Airyn, the daughter of De Niro and actress Toukie Smith, caught the media’s attention earlier this year when she was spotted visiting her dad. Tabloids picked up the paparazzi pictures, buzzing about her “new look” and thrusting Airyn’s transition into the spotlight.
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Now, Airyn has opened up about discovering her gender and the role model she wants to be for other Black and queer folks. In a recent interview with Them, the aspiring actress and model shared what inspired her to begin her transition last November.
“Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success… I’m like, you know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me,” Airyn said. “Maybe I can start.”
“I think a big part of [my transition] is also the influence Black women have had on me,” she added. “I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way.”
Airyn also spoke about being a different kind of trans person than is often highlighted in pop culture, and how she hopes to change people’s idea of what transness can look like. “I’d want to hopefully be an inspiration for at least one other person like me who is Black, who is queer, who’s not a size extra small,” she said.
“I want queer people of color and bigger-bodied people to have an Alex Consani. I want queer people of color and bigger-bodied people to have a Hunter Schafer,” Airyn continued. “A part of me has always wanted to model and sort of follow my mom’s footsteps. Honestly, if I could be on the cover of Vogue with her or recreating one of her pictures, that would be a dream come true.”
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