Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones explains what inspired him to tell the world about his trans son
Kelly Jones from Stereophonics performs at Brighton Centre on 2 March, 2020 in Brighton, England. (WireImage/ Rob Ball)
Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones has explained why he decided to tell the world that his 15-year-old son Colby is trans.
Jones revealed in April that his son Colby, who inspired the band’s track “Fly Like an Eagle”, had transitioned.
In an interview with Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast, he explained that his son had initially came out as gay, and said: “It’s an ongoing process. [He] worked out it’s not just the sexuality thing, it’s the gender thing, and now it’s become more and more about transitioning… now his name is Colby and it’s ‘he’, in an all girls’ school. The school have been amazing, supporting the whole thing.”
Speaking to The Mirror, he has explained why he decided to tell the world about his son’s transition.
Jones said: “I’ve spoken out as I didn’t have a clue what to do when it happened. If it helps other families in a similar situation that’s a good thing.”
He added that Colby is doing “really good, doing his mock exams this week”.
In response to last week’s High Court ruling which saw judges decide that trans under-16s must effectively be stopped from taking puberty blockers without the approval of a court, the Stereophonics frontman said that each young person must be treated individually.
“I’ve got four kids and they’ve all got their own narrative,” Jones said. “It’s a very tricky topic, down to every individual story because it’s a health thing. It depends what age, where you are, if you’re having therapy to get diagnosed mentally as well as psychically.”
Jones previous explained that he had struggled to accept his son’s transition, but is now completely supportive.
He said: “The only thing you can really end up getting to is acceptance, really, and I’m at acceptance with it, and we’re all fully supportive.
“But it’s about resistance to your own prejudices, be it from films or the derogatory terms you heard as a kid… all that comes into your head the moment you hear the word ‘trans’ or ‘transgender’.”
