Cynthia Nixon Announces Son Is Transgender After Referring to ICE As ‘Terrorist Organization’

New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon has announced that her eldest child has come out as transgender.

Nixon, who is campaigning against incumbent Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primaries, posted a throwback photo on Friday of her son Samuel Joseph Mozes’ graduation from the University of Chicago earlier this month. She remarked she was “proud” of the recent graduate in an Instagram post, noting that the 21-year-old goes by “Seph” in his daily life.

“I salute him and everyone else marking today’s #TransDayofAction,” claimed the actress-turned politician.

Mozes was born in 1996 to Nixon and former partner Danny Mozes—who also share a 15-year-old son, Charles. A year before marrying education activist Christine Marinoni, the couple gave birth to Nixon’s third child Max in 2011. He is now seven.

Throughout her campaign to be New York’s first openly LGBTQ governor, Nixon has criticized opponent Andrew Cuomo’s record on queer and transgender issues.

In conversation with The Advocate earlier this month, the 52-year-old candidate blamed Cuomo for the state’s failure to pass an inclusive trans rights bill which would outlaw bias on the basis of gender identity in housing and employment. She pointed to a deal the current governor made allowing moderate Democrats to caucus with the Republicans—giving them a majority in the upper chambers of the legislature.

“Since our governor took office he has empowered a group of Democratic senators who vote with the Republicans, giving the Republicans the control of the state Senate,” Nixon claimed, adding that voters “need a Democratic governor who is as progressive as New York itself.”

Although Nixon lost the Democratic nomination during the party’s May convention, she has continued her challenge of Cuomo in recent weeks by distinguishing herself as the progressive choice.

The same day as she announced her son’s coming out, Nixon referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a “terrorist organization” over its policy of separating migrant children from their parents. Claiming that the government agency’s “egomaniacal leader” is President Donald Trump, she tweeted a petition to “abolish” ICE.

Nixon elaborated on that characterization during an event in support of Debora Vasquez-Barrios, an undocumented mother of two who fears deportation under the administration.

“ICE has strayed so far away from its mission,” claimed Nixon, as NY1 News originally reported. “It is supposed to be here to keep Americans safe, but what it has turned into frankly is a terrorist organization of its own that is terrorizing people who are coming to this country.”

Estimates indicate that 65 migrant children are taken from their parents every day under the ICE family separation policy, which has led to undocumented youth being beaten, handcuffed, and even drugged. Although Trump signed an executive order appearing to halt the practice last week, critics noted that the document left open key loopholes allowing federal agencies to circumvent the order.

New York’s Democratic primary elections will be held in September. A June poll from Siena College showed Nixon trailing Cuomo by 35 points.