How the rule of improv helped Colin Mochrie support transgender daughter
Whose Line Is It Anyway? star and transgender daughter Kinley open up to The National's Wendy Mesley
When comedian Colin Mochrie showed support for his daughter's gender transition on social media earlier this year, he never expected all the attention it brought — positive and negative.
Mochrie said he consulted his daughter Kinley beforehand, who had announced the impending change to family and friends the previous year.
"I think we were both idiotic in a way," the Whose Line Is It Anyway? star told CBC's Wendy Mesley in an interview airing Sunday on The National. "I didn't really think of the full ramifications. I just thought 'I'm just putting this positive thing out there.'"
My 90-yr-old mother-in-law and 87-yr-old mother love and acceptance of our trans daughter warms me. Wonder why some who are younger can't.
—@colinmochrieThe negative is that my mom refers to the community as BLT. It's a learning curve.
—@colinmochrieThe road to understanding
While the comedian received a lot of support, he couldn't escape social media trolls and the ignorance that went along with them. He said his first thought about his daughter's life change was: "God, let her be safe."
He also admits he wasn't sure what to expect.
"You go through this thing 'now my child has changed gender, does that mean that previous child is now gone?'" said the actor.
He says he soon came to realize "it's the exact same kid" with a "different coat on."
How the 'yes, and...' rule helped the adjustment
There's a concept in the world of improvisation called the "yes, and..." rule, and Mochrie says it helped him approach his family's new reality.
In improv, a participant must always agree with the situation presented by a partner and say "yes." Throughout his daughter's coming out period, Mochrie says he and his wife have found it helpful to apply the rule to real life, too.
"We've started saying yes — within limits — and it's taken us to these amazing places and amazing people. So I do think improv actually did help with this," Mochrie said.
"You accept what someone has given you and you build on that."
Support and acceptance
Mochrie says education and communication are a parent's best tools for helping their transgender son or daughter through what can be a difficult process.
Kinley Mochrie said even though her transition involved many conversations, she never doubted her parents' understanding — a luxury not everyone in her position enjoys.
"It took some time but I knew that support and acceptance was on the other side," she said. "I was not worried for a second."
Watch the full interview below:
With files from The National's Wendy Mesley