Rosie O’Donnell Calls Child’s Nonbinary Reveal a ‘Most Interesting’ Parenting Milestone
Marvelous. As if parenting weren’t already one never-ending sitcom, Rosie O’Donnell just handed us a fresh plot twist—her child came out as nonbinary, and she swears it’s “the most interesting thing” she’s ever experienced. I don’t want to be the one to say I told you so, but it’s 2023 and of course Hollywood’s own Rosie O’Donnell has turned her family life into a headline. In a recent sit-down on ITV’s Lorraine (June 2023), Rosie revealed that her kid, Parker (age 14), dropped the they/them bombshell back in elementary school. According to Entertainment Tonight, O’Donnell smiled wide as she admitted, “I was fascinated—this is new territory for both of us.”
Let’s break it down, because you probably need it spelled out. Rosie said she first noticed Parker experimenting with pronouns around age eight but only had “the big conversation” last year. Viewers tuned into Lorraine heard Rosie detail how she dug into books, online forums, and a few TED Talks to wrap her head around gender identity. People magazine reports that instead of panicking, she threw a mini in-house celebration during Pride Month, complete with rainbow cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes. Of course.
Rosie also admitted that navigating the school system was a fun little treasure hunt. She’s had multiple meetings with counselors to ensure Parker’s new pronouns are respected in class. Big surprise there—schools like to follow rules. Still, Rosie insists this wasn’t some drag performance; it was a family milestone. She’s even connected with other celebrity parents via a private Facebook group, so she’s got backup when the inevitable “So what bathroom do they use?” questions pop up. Spoiler alert: they use whichever one aligns with Parker’s vibe that day.
If you needed a reminder that being a good ally requires work, here it is: Rosie spent nights Googling “nonbinary resources for parents,” reading up on mental-health studies, and, yes, learning to correct herself mid-sentence. I told you so—parenting never stops teaching you new tricks. And in case you’re wondering whether Rosie’s talk-show days interfere with being a present mom, Entertainment Tonight confirms she’s cut back appearances to spend weekends at home.
So what’s next for Team O’Donnell? They’re planning to attend a local Pride parade together, camera-free, just as “a family outing,” Rosie teased. Did anyone expect a different outcome? No? Thought so. And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things—because the rest of us are still loading the dishwasher wrong.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, ITV’s Lorraine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
