Author Khaled Hosseini praises 'brilliant' daughter for coming out as transgender

Christi Carras
·2 min read
A man with short brown hair and a beard wearing a black suit
Author Khaled Hosseini attends the 2007 premiere of "There Will Be Blood" in New York. (Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

Bestselling author Khaled Hosseini took to social media on Tuesday to celebrate his 21-year-old daughter for coming out as transgender.

In a touching Instagram post, the "Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" writer praised his daughter, Haris, for teaching him and their family "so much about bravery," "truth" and "what it means to live authentically."

"I have known about Haris’ journey since last year and I’ve watched her navigate some very trying personal times," he wrote.

"Transitioning is such a complicated undertaking—emotionally, physically, socially, psychologically—but Haris has met each challenge with grace, patience, and wisdom. As a father, I have never been prouder of her. I am delighted to now have not one but two beautiful daughters. Most of all, I am inspired by Haris’ fearlessness, her courage to share with the world her true self."

On Twitter, LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD shared an abridged version of Hosseini's statement, along with a heart and a transgender-flag emoji. Haris, whose social media pages are set to private, also responded to her father's remarks on Instagram with a red heart emoji.

In the comments sections of both his Twitter and Instagram posts, many lauded Hosseini for being a loving and accepting father, while other parents of trans children echoed his show of gratitude. According to his official author bio, Hosseini lives in Northern California with his wife, Roya, and two daughters, Haris and Farah.

"I know this process was painful for [Haris], fraught with grief and anxiety. She is sober to the cruelty trans people are subjected to daily. But she is strong and undaunted," Hosseini continued in his post.

"I love my daughter. I will be by her side every step of the way, as will our family. We stand behind her. It’s a privilege to watch her enter the world as the beautiful, wise, and brilliant woman that she is. May God bless her."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.