Warren Beatty and Annette Bening's transgender son, Stephen Ira, appears in a new public service announcement championing for trans healthcare.
Ira, who is a writer, joined GLAAD and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project to speak out against healthcare discrimination for transgender people. In the video, titled "Healthcare for all: Give trans people access to the care they need," the 21-year-old takes aim at New York State's Medicaid regulation that excludes transgender people.
"I grew up outside of New York, but I've always known I've wanted to move here for the city's vibrant artistic community," he says in the video published to YouTube Nov. 15. "As a trans person, I would hope that I'd be welcomed, but many trans people aren't because we don't have the basic healthcare coverage that we need to survive."
GLAAD has highlighted that trans people are denied healthcare because of misinformation and bias in the industry. There is also a lack of trans-friendly providers.
Apparently, Ira's appearance has caught him some flak.
Last year, Ira spoke about his identity in a video for WeHappyTrans.com, saying he identifies as "a trans man, a faggy queen, a homosexual, a queer, a nerd fighter, a writer, an artist and a guy who needs a haircut." He credited his friends and peers as those who have been the most supportive of his transition, a journey he began when he was 14 years old.
Ira does not mention his parents in the video. Beatty and Bening haven't publicly commented on Ira's identity, E! News notes.