NBA star Dwyane Wade confirmed during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen Show (see video below) that their child identifies as a transgender female.
According to Wade, their 12-year-old child, who was born a boy, came home one day and told him and his wife, Gabrielle Union, that she wanted to be referred to by the feminine pronouns she/her.
She also asked her parents to call her Zaya, instead of her birth name, Zion.
Wade told Ellen DeGeneres that he and Gabrielle supported Zaya’s decision to identify as female and that they were proud of her. He also talked about their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Dwyane said they took their responsibilities as parents very seriously and that they were always willing to listen and respond appropriately when their child came to them with questions about various issues, including sexuality.
He added that they have also been trying to learn more about LGBTQ+ issues and that they have reached out to the cast of the Netflix series Pose.
Zaya speaks out
Zaya also spoke out in a video (see below) posted to Twitter by his mom, Gabrielle Union.
Gabrielle captioned the video:
“Meet Zaya. She’s compassionate, loving, whip smart and we are so proud of her. It’s Ok to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people.”
In the video, Zaya wondered what was the point of living if one struggles to be someone that one is not. She said that not living as oneself was a dumb idea.
Meet Zaya. She's compassionate, loving, whip smart and we are so proud of her. It’s Ok to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people. pic.twitter.com/G2lLVdD2VT
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) February 11, 2020
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union have always supported Zaya
Monsters and Critics reported during the Thanksgiving season in November 2019, that Gabrielle took to Instagram to post a photo of the family, including herself, Dwyane, Zaya, and her baby sister, Kaavia.
But some social media users criticized Zaya for wearing fake nails and a crop top.
Wade came to Zaya’s defense with a comment posted on Twitter.
“I’ve seen some post-thanksgiving hate on social about my family photo. Stupidity is apart of this world we live in—so I get it. But here’s the thing—I’ve been chosen to lead my family not y’all. So we will continue to be us and support each other with pride, love & a smile!”
I’ve seen some post-thanksgiving hate on social about my family photo. Stupidity is apart of this world we live in—so i get it. But here’s the thing—I’ve been chosen to lead my family not y’all. So we will continue to be us and support each other with pride, love & a smile! ✌?
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) November 30, 2019
As a parent my only goal is that my kids feel that i see them , love them and support them. https://t.co/ZrJp9WFdbi
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) November 30, 2019
Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union have always been open about their support for Zaya. They also showed their support for Zaya when they took her to the Miami Beach Pride Parade back in April 2019.