Leon Brown wants to find more space away from their family after coming out as transgender last year. Sister Wives star Gwendlyn Brown spoke out about her sibling’s decision in a new video on YouTube on the heels of calling out dad Kody Brown for describing the situation in a recent episode. Brown said during the episode of the TLC show that Leon was one of the children in their family who didn’t “fit in well” with the rest of the family.
“Leon has given themselves space for their emotional health,” Gwendlyn, 21, explained. Later in the video, the daughter of Kody and his ex-wife Christine Brown elaborated on her father’s comment about Leon, 27, saying that they had always been “kind of the odd one out” as the only biological child of Kody and Meri Brown in the plural family. “Leon has been, since childhood, kind of the odd one out in the family because they had no siblings from their mom to really get along with,” she said. “They just probably felt like the odd one out.”
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She added that Leon is transgender and queer in a family that practices the Mormon faith, which “hasn’t really traditionally been kind to queer people, especially with a family that’s quite a bit conservative and partially against transsexuality in general…” Gwendlyn added that Leon has “just been separating themselves from the situation and been sticking to people that are more safe for them.” She added, “It’s not that they’re not fitting in it’s that they have chosen to go to people who they can trust, and it’s just they found a safer community for themselves.”
Leon announced in June that they are transgender, introducing themself on Instagram, “My name is Leon or Leo (i love both) and my pronouns are they/them,” they wrote in part. Growing up in a situation that was “incredibly gendered & restrictive,” Leon “continued to be socialized as a girl & later a woman,” but is “finally ready to share my favorite self with the world. and that self is incredibly genderqueer, trans, and unapologetic.”
“Being queer & trans are definitely some of my favorite parts of myself. and yet, there are so many things that i am learning to love about myself through this process,” they continued. “Here’s to me getting to know myself, share myself, and continually evolve to be the person i am, to be my favorite self in all contexts.” Leon noted they would also be setting “some boundaries,” concluding, “If you choose to not use my correct name or pronouns, then you do not need to speak to or about me. My name is Leo or Leon, and my pronouns are they/them. please only refer to me in that way.”
