‘Real Housewives’ alum Alexis Bellino introduces her transgender son to the world

“Real Housewives of Orange County” alum Alexis Bellino has a big announcement: She just introduced her transgender son, Miles, to her Instagram followers.

“Hey world, this is Miles,” Bellino wrote in a lengthy post that featured a sweet photo of her and her son both making goofy faces at the camera.

The 45-year-old reality star explained that Miles had seen questions about him on her page and asked her to make an announcement on his behalf.

“I had stopped posting for the past few months due to this transition in Miles’ life, but he’s now ready to ‘come out’ and to use this platform to stop any hate or questions,” she wrote. “I refused to post this for him for a while, but now I know Miles truly wants this because he’s tired of the misgendering and confusion people have, so we are setting the record straight and hopefully bringing clarity. I cannot imagine the strength and courage it took for my baby to do this, but I’m extremely proud of him and I want everyone to understand that love doesn’t change in these situations. It’s unconditional love.”

Related: What I did when my 4-year-old told me that he’s transgender

Bellino continued, “Miles came out as a transgender boy to me over 16 months ago. He hid it from everyone else for a while, but eventually he got to where we are right now. TO HIS FREEDOM! My son has now flourished!! My son now smiles naturally for the first time in years! My son now loves the clothes he wears. My son can breathe knowing he can be his true self. My son lights up every single time a stranger calls him ‘he.’ My son runs with the boys. My son can actually FEEL. My son can live life now with his true self.”

The announcement may come as a surprise to fans of the show, who saw Alexis Bellino and her family as staunch Christians opposed to many issues of LGBTQ+ equality, including same-sex marriage.

But her loving, accepting post shows that people can change for the better, and Bellino certainly has. 

“We are all human and we are ALL equal,” she wrote at the end of her post. “I am 100% fully supportive of my son. I hope you will be too. I love you all. Thank you for supporting me and my family through all of our many transitions through the years. This world needs more love and kindness.”

Related: I’m the mother of a trans child. Gender-affirming care saved my teen’s life

Bellino joined the cast of “Real Housewives” in 2009, and exited after three seasons, in 2012. In 2011 was when she made her most outspoken remarks against same-sex marriage on the show, which she was immediately criticized for. In a blog post she wrote at the time, titled “Clearing the air,” she apologized for the things she had said.

“In my opinion, we should all have equal rights and receive equal benefits as Americans, and we should all be allowed to practice those rights,” she wrote.