Tag Archives: LBGTQ

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Coordinate For Daughter Zaya’s First Red Carpet Appearance

Better Brothers Los Angeles' 6th Annual Truth Awards

Source: Andrew Toth / Getty

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union are showing exactly what it takes to be truly supportive parents, so when the two decided to dress up and coordinate to reintroduce their daughter Zaya to the world—we we’re all for it.

On Sunday (Mar 8) Dwyane Wade shared a few photos of his daughter Zaya, dressed for her first-ever red carpet appearance at the 6th Annual Truth Awards, hosted by Better Brothers L.A., an organization dedicated to helping and creating safe spaces for black LGBTQ people.

The couple turned heads while attending the 2020 Truth Awards with Wade’s 12-year-old daughter Zaya for the teenager’s first red carpet appearance since she came out as transgender in February. The trio donned coordinating outfits designed by suiting company Rich Fresh that was inspired by the GenderQueer Flag—an idea by none other than Zaya herself.

Donning a bright green tuxedo jacket with black pants, a pink sash and black boots Zaya posed for photos beside her dad and Union, both of whom accessorized with matching natural sapphire necklaces, with Zaya and Union finishing their looks with matching Ofira Jewels diamond band rings.

During the ceremony, both Union and Wade made speeches, thanking their friends, stylist Jason Bolden and his husband Adair for supporting Zaya.

“It was really important for Zaya’s first red carpet to be celebrating black excellence in her community, real allies show up,” Union said, which garnered huge applause from the audience.

After the event, Dwyane Wade took to his Instagram to share a heart felt post, letting his daughter know just how proud of her he was.

“Everyone allow her to re-introduce herself her name is Zaya Wade!” Dwyane wrote. “Last night was Zaya’s first red carpet and we couldn’t have been prouder of how she handled the questions that were asked of her. She has emerged as one of the young faces and voices for the LGBTQ+ community. #truthawards

Gabrielle Union posted a message of her own for those attacking their family for being inclusive and supporting Zaya, letting them know that the love they share isn’t going anywhere.

“We keep moving forward. We keep leading with love, light, and hope for a better more inclusive world. Stay put and stay mad if you want. We keep it pushing. Always. ❤❤❤

Created in 2010 by Marilyn Roxie, the genderqueer flag includes the color lavender to represent androgynes and androgyny, white to symbolize agender identity, and green, the inverse of lavender, as a nod to those who fall outside the gender binary.

 

Source: HipHopWired.com

Click Here to Discuss in the Forums

Spread the love
             
 
   

‘Saved By The Bell’ Reboot in the Works With Trans Teen Cast As Lead

30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Los Angeles - Arrivals

Source: Rich Fury / Getty

Zack Morris is heading back to TV, well kinda.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 90s teen sitcom, Saved By The Bell, is returning to TV with a few of the original cast members and a new twist. The reprise of the iconic show will explore what happens when California Gov. Zack Morris closes many of the state’s low-income high schools and reassigns affected students to higher-performing schools, including Bayside High.

While it has been confirmed that Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley are set to return as their original characters, “AC Slater” and “Jessica Spano”, there is no word if Mark-Paul Gosselaar will resume his role as “Zack Morris” or if the legendary character will be an ongoing factor in the reboot. Producers of the show also revealed that the lead in the reprise will center around “a beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High” who is both “admired and feared” by her classmates; which is set to be played by transgender teen, Josie Totah.

News of Totah’s casting comes nearly two years after the 18-year old came out as transgender via a TIME Magazine essay.

Totah, whose credits include NBC’s “Champions”, the Disney Channel’s “Jessie,” and most recently seen on Netflix’s “No Good Nick,” opened up about her gender identity for the first time publicly in 2018, writing that while she always identified as LBGTQ she wasn’t ready to be as detailed due to trying to figure out how she wanted to identify.

“In the past, I’ve halfway corrected people by telling them I identify as LGBTQ,” she wrote. “I wasn’t ready to be more specific … I have come to believe that God made me transgender. I don’t feel like I was put in the wrong body. I don’t feel like there was a mistake made. I believe that I am transgender to help people understand differences. It allows me to gain perspective, to be more accepting of others, because I know what it feels like to know you’re not like everyone else.”

Although a release date has yet to be determined, Saved by the Bell is set to stream on NBC’s new streaming app, The Peacock set to launch in April.

Source: HipHopWired.com

Click Here to Discuss in the Forums

Spread the love
             
 
   

Dwyane Wade Gives Powerful Speech On Importance Of Accepting Son’s Sexuality

Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers

Source: Kevork Djansezian / Getty

When it comes to showing unwavering support for his son, Dwyane Wade has definitely proven to be the poster child, but according to the NBA superstar his support was more about himself than his son.

ON Thursday (Dec.19) Dwyane Wade expounded upon the temps he took to fully embrace his son Zion’s sexuality. During the interview with fellow NBA baller Matt Barnes for his All the Smoke podcast, Wade explained that he realized early on that Zion wasn’t embracing his masculinity as much as his older brother Zaire.

In regards to his unapologetic defense of his son, D Wade tells hater to “get used to it,” because he’s made it his mission to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves.

”Everybody get used to it, man,” Wade said. “This is the new normal. So if anybody different, we looked at as different. You know what I’m saying? The ones that don’t understand it. The ones that don’t get it. The ones that are stuck in a box. You’re different. Not the people that are out here living their lives, man.”

Check out the full interview below.

Source: HipHopWired.com

Click Here to Discuss in the Forums

Spread the love
             
 
   

Gabrielle Union Claps Back At Haters Over Family Pic, “Kaav Ain’t With The Dumb Sh*t”

"America's Got Talent" Season 14 Finale Red Carpet

Source: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty

Gabrielle Union doesn’t have time for the slander, so when a Twitter user decided to tweet an image of her family, she had something to say.

The incident came after Dwyane Wade posted a cute photo with Gabrielle Union, their son Zion and daughter Kaavia with the caption “My girls” on his Instastory, many fans thought the photo was sweet but there were a few that had issues with the loving post.

One fan, in particular, took to Twitter to discuss the photo when Union herself saw the tweet and decided to respond.

“Looks like love to me 🤷🏾‍♀️ I truly hope that everyone gets the love, support and hugs they deserve. Also Kaav ain’t with the dumb sh*t. Peace & Blessings good people.”

While the original poster clarified that she “didn’t see anything wrong” with the picture, it does show exactly how insensitive that Black people can be in regards to homosexuality. While the Wades have always been “family first” and showed overwhelming support of their 12-year old son, who came out as gay earlier this year; fans of the basketball superstar weren’t so open.

From being criticized as parents, to being called “gay” himself, the treatment of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union are clear examples of how toxic some Black people can be when it comes to homosexuality. When Pharrell graced the cover of this month’s GQ in a bold way to help push forward the new trend of healthy masculinity, many Black folks weren’t too thrilled.

Despite the general consensus of some Black men and women, the definition and expectation of traditional masculinity and femininity are not “fine.” In fact, for the first time in history, we are seeing a horrifying increase in suicide within the Black community, especially young Black boys.

According to a study completed by the CDC, African American men and young boys are four times more likely to commit suicide than Black women and young girls, although an increase has been seen in both. A recent study in the Journal of Community Health showed that suicide rates among black girls ages 13-19 nearly doubled from 2001 to 2017. For black boys in the same age group, over the same period, rates rose 60 percent.

It’s time to really examine how we view homosexuality, mental health, and non-traditional forms of masculinity because the old standards are literally killing our children.

MSNBC reports that children ages 5 to 12, black males are committing suicide at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic group, leaving clinicians like Dr. Michael Lindsey, the executive director of New York University’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, asking where is the outcry.

“If suicide was a black phenomenon and all of a sudden there was an uptick in white kids committing suicide, there would be a national outcry,” Lindsey said.

But this isn’t totally a problem that requires an outward look, many children and young adults feel that the pressure to attain outdated goals, bullying, discrimination, and harassment as a part of the LBGTQ are all reasons given for suicide attempts. Couple exclusion with toxic masculinity and we see why there are huge numbers of Black and Brown transwomen being murdered with little to no coverage.

View this post on Instagram

(and brown Trans people)

A post shared by IAM (@indyamoore) on

The issue has become so bad that Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman initiated a task force to combat the problem and raise awareness.

“I said to my staff, ‘We gotta do something about this’,” Watson Coleman told MSBNC. “I don’t know to what extent we have control over anything, but the least we should be doing is raising the concern so that this issue could be addressed. The more we get into this, the more frightening the situation becomes to me, the more we recognize that suicide, in general, is a problem across communities, but it has a particular impact in the black and LGBTQ communities.”

This speaks volumes as to why the message that the Wades are showing their son about inclusion is very important.

“We support each other with Pride,” Dwyane Wade said in a post in April, supporting his son’s appearance at Miami’s PRIDE parade, maybe it’s time for the rest of us to follow suit.

Source: HipHopWired.com

Click Here to Discuss in the Forums

Spread the love