Arts & Entertainment
Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union support 11-year-old son at Miami Pride
Zion’s father, stepmother and siblings showed their love

Miami Heat shooting guard Dwayne Wade and actress Gabrielle Union-Wade showed their support for their son Zion, 11, during Miami Beach’s Pride Festival.
Zion, who is Wade’s son from a previous relationship, was accompanied to Miami Pride by his stepmother. Zion’s brother Zaire, 17, and his infant sister Kaavia, who is Wade and Union-Wade’s first child, also attended.
Wade was unable to attend because Miami Heat had a game against Toronto but he made sure to show his support for Zion on Instagram.
He posted a photo of Zion and Union-Wade captioned “We support each other with Pride.” In another photo Zion posed with his brother Zaire which Wade captioned “It’s a family thing.” Finally, Wade posted a shot of the whole family together writing “Zion had his own cheering section today. Wish I was there to see you smile kid.”
Dwyane Wade’s 11-year-old son Zion celebrates gay pride at the Miami Pride Parade. His brother Zaire Wade and stepmom Gabrielle Union-Wade were there to support him.
— Tia A. Ewing (@TIA_EWING) April 8, 2019
DWade was at a game in Toronto against the Raptors.https://t.co/VqtNSplTO8 pic.twitter.com/AquLISlqmx
Wade and Union-Wade’s support for Zion was praised on social media.
Dwayne Wade and Gabby Union supporting young Zion at Miami Pride is so beautiful, I could cry. I can’t imagine having had this type of support as a kid (or even young adult). Amazing example of living in and showing unconditional love ? pic.twitter.com/2cT8Ow6kik
— Câmi Thomas (@CamiCruzThomas) April 7, 2019
This just makes me so happy. Seeing Dwayne Wade embrace his son no matter who is, is what LGBTQ youth deserve! ?️??????❤️? pic.twitter.com/VWVB7xys9c
— JT ??? (@JTizzlle) April 7, 2019
Unbelievably heartwarming.
— Sam White (@samwhiteout) April 8, 2019
Every kid deserves to be accepted and supported and loved like this.
One of the many examples of Wade & Union being just plain good people. https://t.co/K7HzM3UqZL
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)










a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

























