'Walking Dead' Star Khary Payton Introduces His Transgender Son, Karter

Khary Payton is the next celebrity dad showing us all how you parent your transgender kid

All it takes to parent your kid well is to give them as much love and acceptance as you’ve got, no matter who they turn out to be. But for transgender kids, that’s heartbreakingly often not the case. That’s why, when a celeb parent stands up and tells us about their transgender kid and treats them with nothing but love and acceptance, we truly love to see it. The latest? The Walking Dead‘s Khary Payton, who took to Instagram this week to ask his followers to say hello to his son, Karter.

Payton wrote his Instagram note alongside a photo of his adorable 11-year-old son, dressed in a helmet and pads for skateboarding and giving a thumbs up and sweet smirk to the camera.

“This my kid,” Payton wrote. “One of the most happy, well-adjusted individuals I’ve ever known. My son, Karter.”

Payton continued, “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. He thought it would be cool if I announced it on social media. 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.'”

Payton went on to write about what it’s like from his perspective, as a father watching his child discover himself and who he is, and what a beautiful journey that is.

“Man, there is nothing more beautiful than watching your child feel the joy of exploring what it means to be true to themselves,” he wrote. “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.”

Payton is just the latest celebrity parent to speak out about raising a transgender kid. Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union have made plenty of headlines in recent months, since their daughter, Zaya, came out publicly as transgender late last year. The couple has been praised for all the love and support they’ve given Zaya along her path, but honestly? That’s a pretty low bar for parents, who should love their kids no matter who they are. These celebs are just the most public examples of that.