Now that Dwyane Wade is retired from the NBA, he can focus all of his attention on being in the lives of his four children. The NBA veteran stopped by “The Ellen Show” and spoke about the time when he recalled the moment that his child came out as transgender.
“Zaya, our 12-year-old, came home — I don’t know if everyone knows, originally named Zion; Zion, born as a boy — came home and said, ‘Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, and I’m ready to live my truth. And I want to be referenced as she and her. I’d love for you guys to call me Zaya,’” Wade recalled.
After Zaya broke the news to her father and stepmother, Gabrielle Union, the pair set out to educate themselves and figure out the best ways to support Zaya and her transition. Union even reached out to the cast of “Pose” for help.
“That was our job, to go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship that we have. My wife reached out to everybody on the cast of ‘Pose,’” Wade said. “We just tried to figure out as much information as we can to make sure we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self.”
“Once Zion came home and said, ‘Call me Zaya,’ and ‘I’m ready to take on this,’ I looked at her and said, ‘You are a leader. It’s our opportunity to allow you to be a voice,’” Wade explained. “Right now, it’s through us, because she’s 12 years old, but eventually, it will be through her.”
Ellen DeGeneres applauded Wade for being such a supporting father to Zaya.
She said, “What every parent should be is what you’re being now — which is unconditionally loving your child and supporting your child in whoever they are.”
Wade explained to DeGeneres how being there for his child through this transition came naturally for him and his wife.
“We are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we are proud allies as well,” he said. “We take our roles and responsibility as parents very seriously. So when a child comes home with a question, when a child comes home with an issue, when a child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information we can, the best feedback we can. And that doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it.”
Check out the interview below.