The Kelly Clarkson Show has been praised for celebrating the touching coming out story of a trans woman.

On 13 November, the Emmy Award-winning talk show kicked off Trans Awareness Week as the host interviewed Jenna Tea, a trans woman from Utah who came out to her loving and supportive grandmother in a viral video.

“Every time I hear [your grandmother’s voice] I cry. It was the most beautiful thing, it was so sweet,” Clarkson told Tea, who appeared via dial-in, before asking: “When did it happen?”

“She’s always been super supportive of me. First I came out as gay, and then I came out as a drag queen,” explained Tea, “hence all of the clothing behind me!”

Tea revealed that her grandmother attended all of her drag performances, which was “so beautiful to watch”.

“One day”, however, “I went to her house and I was wearing a dress and the topic came up. She just started saying all of those sweet things, and so I pressed record.”

Following their conversation, Clarkson shared that Tea will receive a donation of $1000 from Precise by Pilot “to buy some more beautiful things”.

With trans rights constantly under political attack, as well as the heartbreaking win of anti-trans felon Donald Trump in the 2024 US Election, it cannot be overstated how major it is for a mainstream talk show to dedicate an entire segment to a positive trans story.

“We need people like Kelly more than ever these next four years. There’s so little hope left,” one viewer wrote in the Instagram comments, while another said: “Kelly is the definition of unconditional love. Thank you for being an ally and allowing trans voices to be heard.”

A third wrote: “Sitting here two days after having top surgery and I cannot hold back my tears. Having someone I look up to so much be such an ally and accepting is such a beautiful thing. I knew I picked the right person to idolize in 2002.”

You can watch The Kelly Clarkson Show’s Transgender Awareness Week segment in full here or below.