Gabrielle Union does not shrink back from confronting parents who choose not to advocate for their children.

The actress, who is a mother of one and a step-mother of three, talked out about the reality of parenthood while attending the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday.

She expanded on the emotional address that she and her husband Dwyane Wade delivered at the NAACP Image Awards last month.

Union said, “That your kids are worth fighting for,” when asked what she hoped parents were able to take away from the speech (which the pair made after collecting the ceremony’s President’s Award).

She continued by saying that “your children are not expendable” and that “even when presented with something that you may not be as acquainted with or comfortable with [it is] not an excuse to toss your kids away.”

Remember that whenever they come for one of us, they come for all of us, and never let that fact slip your mind.

Only one day after her step-daughter Zaya Wade (whom Wade shares with her ex-partner Siohvaughn Funches) was given the opportunity to legally alter her name and gender on February 24, the actress made her first public statement.

“Your children are never disposable,” she said. “And if you believe that loving your children entails denying their identity — and because denying someone’s identity is the same as denying their humanity, your love for your children should not be heartless.”

Union continued by saying, “And then there’s what? I believe there are now 8 billion people on the planet.

There are 8 billion different ways that two people might love one another. Choose one that does not have the same connotation as mistreatment, damage, or neglect.