Teen Mom star Kailyn Lowry fully supported her son Elliott Rivera when he came out as gay, but she also found it to be a frightening experience.
Elliott, 15, formerly known as Isaac, publicly came out during the June 6 episode of Kailyn’s “Barely Famous” podcast. He and his mom, 33, shared their candid discussion about Elliott’s sexuality in a Wednesday, June 11, interview with Teen Vogue, with the reality star admitting that she had mixed feelings about her eldest son’s news.
“That was a catch-22 for me because on one hand, obviously, you want to support him if this is what he wants to do, and I think that he’s brave for that,” Kailyn said. “But on the other hand, it’s scary because the rights of the queer community are under attack. That’s really scary to open him up to more [of] a target on his back. That’s scary as a parent.”
Kailyn also explained why she told Elliott that there was no need for him to come out to her.
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“I just don’t care about his sexuality. I want to support him in every way I can, but I didn’t need him to confirm his sexuality with me. I don’t think that most straight people wake up and decide, ‘Today’s the day I’m going to tell my parents I’m straight.’ You know what I mean?” she said.
During the podcast episode, Elliott confirmed that he was gay and revealed that he decided to come out because he was “really sick of people coming up with their own stories and putting things in their own words.”
“This is for me, and I’ve built up the courage over time to make it known and let me have my moment,” the teen explained.
Elliott then reiterated that his decision was solely for him and reminded listeners that they don’t have to follow the same path.
“If you think it’s necessary to come out, do it. But if you don’t, then just be yourself. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Just be who you are,” he said.
Kailyn welcomed Elliott with ex Jo Rivera in 2010, and his birth was documented on an episode of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant season 2. Kailyn continued to document her life on Teen Mom 2 until she announced her exit from the series in May 2022.
Kailyn also shares son Lincoln, 11, with ex Javi Marroquin; sons Lux, 7, and Creed, 4, with ex Chris Lopez; and son Rio, 2, and twins Verse and Valley, whom she welcomed in October 2023, with fiancé Elijah Scott.
Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Elliott explained why he decided to drop his first name, Isaac, and go by his middle name instead.
“I started going by Elliott because, at some point, I wasn’t happy with my first name. … It just doesn’t feel like me in some way,” he said.
Elliott said that part of his decision to change his name came down to separating his life as a Teen Mom personality from his life today.
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“I would have been fine if you kept calling me Isaac because I know that transition would have been hard and it was a bit because you called me by my first name my whole life,” he told Kailyn.” I think the separation from my personal and private life or who I was on TV versus who I am now, that was the main reason, but at some point, I just realized I liked my middle name better.”
Elliott told Teen Vogue that his hope for people who listen to the podcast episode, which released a part two on Tuesday, June 10, is to feel a sense of “inclusivity.”
“I hope for inclusivity and overall awareness and just support for someone in a similar situation,” he said. “To teach parents or friends [and] family to support them and help the person who wants to come out or is trying to figure themselves out to feel included, or feel like they have support.”
