When most people think of the transgender celebrities, they rarely associate them with the world of hip-hop and R&B. But all of that changed last week when R. Kelly and his ex-wife, Andrea Kelly’s, 14-year-old daughter, Jaya Kelly, came out as a transgender.
The news first hit the web last week after several media sites took notice of Jaya’s Facebook page, where he announced that he is a “transguy” and was now going by the name Jay.
According to Sandra Rose, Andrea has reportedly embraced her son and photos on Jay’s social media show him and his mom regularly spending quality time together. However, the site claims that R. Kelly has not been a consistent presence in Jay’s life, leaving many to wonder how how feels about his son.
Since the news of Jay’s transition broke, the Kellys have been mum about the matter and it’s unclear if they’ll ever address the public on Jay’s life. But considering that most of the family seems to have embraced Jay and that R. Kelly and Andrea, understandably, have kept their children’s lives private, we wouldn’t be surprised if they stay mum.
Most importantly though, we’re happy that Jay seems to have a loving family and that he felt loved and supported enough to stand in his truth at such a young age. –nicholas robinson
