On Saturday, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade were jointly recognized with the President's Award for special achievement and distinguished public service at the 54th NAACP Image Awards.
Together, the couple has advocated for racial justice and LGBT+ equality. They've also been outspoken about the importance of nurturing queer children — actions largely inspired by their own journey in parenting their daughter, Zaya Wade, who came out as trans in 2020.
Since winning the award, the couple's speech has gone massively viral — not only for dedicating a large portion of their words to Zaya and how proud they are of her courage and grace, but also for calling out the "hard truth" of how many have failed to fight for trans and gender non-confirming people.
It's the Black love for me! 😍 Round of applause to @DwyaneWade and @itsgabrielleu on taking home President's Award! ✨
For many viewers, it was a breath of fresh air to see two parents stand firm in their resolve; to see them root for their child, the LGBT+ community, and demand better. And the internet has exploded with applause.
"Thank y'all for being the standard," one person wrote to Dwyane Wade after he shared a clip of their speech on Instagram.
"An example of what unconditional love looks like," another chimed in.
Members of the LGBT+ community also joined the conversation and thanked Dwyane and Gabrielle for being the parents they wish they had when growing up. "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support you give your beautiful daughter," one user wrote. "If only I had a father like you when I was coming up."
"I am fully weeping right now," another person added. "The trauma of having the world try and legislate us out of existence while we are being hunted is so heavy. ... Thank you for speaking this word. Thank you for standing 10 toes down for us. Thank you for being the kind of parents and people Zaya needs and deserves."
Even other parents of trans youth showed their appreciation. "I am a mom to a trans son," one mother shared. "It's been so hard for me and for him. But love has no limits and no boundaries."
People commend the couple for being an example of how parents should take the time to "learn and listen to the needs of your children."
Because every child deserves "parents who [stand] beside them in such a fashion."
According to The Trevor Project, trans youth experience high levels of depression, sexual violence, and suicidal thoughts. And, sadly, the trans community experiences victimization at a disproportionately high rate when compared to their cisgender counterparts. Allyship, both inside and outside of the home, can be the first step in helping to alleviate the problem.
So many young black trans kids are forced into homelessness or end their own lives at a young age because they don’t have love within their household. To see Zaya Wade be nurtured and loved by her parents publicly is a beautiful example of what every black trans kid deserves.
If you'd like to help, you can find resources for understanding gender identities here, crisis support here, and donate to the cause here.
If you or someone you know has experienced anti-LGBTQ violence or harassment, you can contact the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs hotline at 1-212-714-1141.
And peer-support services are available at the Trans Lifeline. You can call the hotline at 1-(877-) 565-8860.