© 2026 ABC News

Mallory told ABC News that when she first saw the video, she \"teared up\" and was overwhelmed with joy.

\"I hadn't yet come out publicly and to see that response, I was just so happy,\" she said. \"I feel so proud of my wife and children for being such great people.\"

The video was taken earlier in January, shortly after Mallory came out as a transgender to Shalee, the family told ABC News. But it was posted to Facebook last week after Shalee bought a new phone.

The couple from Port Royal, Pennsylvania has been married for three years. Mallory had identified as a man named Landon until around Christmas of last year, she said.

Mallory explained she \"had always felt like a girl\" as a kid, but \"suppressed it.\"

Shalee said that Mallory's \"gender identity had no bearing\" on her love for Mallory. When she saw Mallory look at herself in the mirror with makeup and girl's clothes for the first time, she was happy to see her \"finally free.\"

\"Mallory accepted me when I came out as pan-sexual to her and told her I was attracted to all sorts of people, when we first started dating,\" Shalee said. \"She really helped be embrace my sexuality. Now I feel it's come full circle. Here I am helping her embrace her true gender identity now.\"

\"PHOTO:
Shalee Olivia Ellis/Facebook
PHOTO: Shalee Ellis, left, and her wife Mallory Ellis, right, are pictured together here.
>

Shalee added that she hopes the video helps fight transphobia and shows people that hate is taught. \"Children are loving and compassionate naturally.\"

\"I feel so strongly about our marriage together and our family,\" she said. \"You know, I've always said, you're either by our side or in our way. We are always going to rise up and be happy and be with each other.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Lifestyle/year-sweet-reaction-learning-dad-transgender/story?id=38062602","legacySlug":"/news/story/year-sweet-reaction-learning-dad-transgender-38062602","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"21:56","publishDate":"03-31-2016","updatedTime":"11:14","updatedDate":"04-01-2016","socialImage":{"alt":"Shalee Ellis posted a video to Facebook of her 6-year-old daughter Layla's reaction to finding out her dad is a transgender woman on March 24, 2016. ","credit":"Shalee Olivia Ellis/Facebook ","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Lifestyle/HT_shalee_oliveria_ellis_layla_reaction_2_jt_160331_16x9_992.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"3/31/2016 21:56:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":38062602,"headline":"6-Year-Old Has Sweet Reaction to Transgender Dad","mediaAssetTitle":"TAN_6_year_old_sweet_reaction_dad_trans_160331","description":"\"Even though you're a 'her,' I still love you,\" she said.","duration":"1:50","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/03/160331_abc_dad_transgender_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["133741861","133707237","133144263"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"June 10, 2026","headline":"NASA unveils Artemis III crew","section":"News","slug":"/video/133741861","id":"133741861","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"June 9, 2026","headline":"Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","section":"News","slug":"/video/133707237","id":"133707237","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 20, 2026","headline":"Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","section":"News","slug":"/video/133144263","id":"133144263","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"6-Year-Old Has Sweet Reaction to Transgender Dad","description":"\"Even though you're a 'her,' I still love you,\" she said.","duration":"1:50","uploadDate":"03-31-2016","publication":"03-31-2016","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/03/160331_abc_dad_transgender_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/03/160331_abc_dad_transgender_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/year-sweet-reaction-learning-dad-transgender-38062602"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133579397","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133482839","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133390157","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133415361","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133414032","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133380485","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133358298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133350119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307515","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307527","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133282665","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133220149","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"6-Year-Old Has Sweet Reaction to Transgender Dad","pubTime":"17:56","pubDate":"03-31-2016","modTime":"07:14","modDate":"04-01-2016","taxonomyTags":"none","id":38062602,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"6-Year-Old Has Sweet Reaction to Transgender Dad","mediaAssetTitle":"TAN_6_year_old_sweet_reaction_dad_trans_160331","videoId":38062602,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/year-sweet-reaction-learning-dad-transgender-38062602"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/38062602","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/38062602","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};