Dwyane Wade is not only a leader on the court but also off of it as he showed how supportive he was of his daughter coming out on The Ellen Show.
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Wade has had some legendary moments during his time in the NBA, winning three championships and coining the famous ‘Wade County’ environment in Miami.
He’ll be remembered as one of the greatest shooting guards of all time, but his biggest achievement may have come off the court.
Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union were met with an unfamiliar situation when his daughter, Zaya, came out as transgender. However, both of them handled the situation brilliantly as Wade explained in an a sit down with Ellen DeGeneres.
Dwyane Wade And Gabrielle Union Showed Support For Zaya When She Came Out
Wade spoke up on how Zaya coming out made him a much better father because it taught him to view his daughter as she wanted to be:
“It’s made me grow. I didn’t know anything, really wasn’t knowledgeable about the LGBTQ+ community. What it has done is it opened my eyes and my ears to something greater and bigger than I, and and my daughter has allowed us gracefully to be her support system.”
When it first happened, Wade’s response to the situation was extremely supportive as well. Wade would explain the story on The Ellen Show:
“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.’”
“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.”
You can watch Wade’s appearance on the show here:
The way Wade and his wife have reacted to the entire situation is admirable. In a world where acceptance can be hard, especially for parents, Wade’s response to the scenario should be looked at with respect.
Inclusivity is a big part of making society better and Wade and Union have definitely set examples in creating an inclusive environment with how they handled Zaya coming out.
