As Pride month rolls along, actor and comedian Marlon Wayans took time to write an endearing Instagram post to celebrate his 19-year-old daughter, Amai Zackary Wayans. Celebrities and fans alike showed their support for his loving message to his daughter, who is openly gay.
In the post, he expressed his love for her and posted a cute photo of her wearing a rainbow-soled gym shoe. The rainbow is the recognized symbol of gay pride.
“Happy pride to my pride and joy. I wouldn’t change one effing thing about you. Love you to the moon around the sun through the galaxies and back again,” Wayans wrote on Instagram.
For the most part, the social media message was well-received but one commenter, in particular, had a few “words of advice” for the successful comedian. Instead of encouraging Wayans for supporting and loving Amai Zackary Wayans for who she was, the person felt obligated to tell Wayans what he could do to be a better parent in terms of Wayans’ daughter sexuality.
“She’s not old enough to understand what that’s really all about. You have the power to change lives Bro, don’t teach her that,” stated the man from the Instagram account @chizz401.
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Marlon Wayans didn’t have time for it. He defended his daughter against the troll as any good parent would.
“She’s 19. She’s who she is until or until she don’t choose different. Love her for her not what I want her to be,” Wayans responded.
Another commenter thought Wayans should delete the negative Instagram account. The doting dad explained his decision to leave it for everyone to see, stating: “I thought of erasing them but I need the world to see the ignorance that still exists. Objective without obstacles is a worthless triumph. We all will some day get to unconditional love. Because of my daughter, I am one step closer. I am no God, I don’t judge I just LOVE. And still pray for the haters because I refuse to judge them too I just love.”
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The Instagram post has almost 140,000 likes and is still trending. The key takeaway from this situation is a parent’s responsibility isn’t to try to change a child but to love and defend him or her. Amai Zackary Wayans has that, and given the fact that many Black children can’t be open about their sexuality, the world needs more parents who love and accept their children for who they are. And Wayans is a shining example of that type of parent.
