Dwyane Wade recalled during a recent appearance on “The Ellen Show” the “proud” moment his 12-year-old, Zaya, came out as transgender to him and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union.
Ellen DeGeneres commended Wade, who has been an outspoken supporter of Zaya, saying that by unconditionally loving and supporting his child, he exemplifies what every parent should be.
“There are so many parents,” DeGeneres said, who “freak out” when their children “don’t go the way” they imagined. But she said Wade is so loving and supportive.
“First of all, me and my wife Gabrielle Union, we are proud, when I say proud, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community,” the retired NBA star told DeGeneres in a clip posted Tuesday to the YouTube channel for Degeneres’ talk show. “And we’re proud allies as well. And we take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously.”
Wade said that when his child comes home with a question, issue or concern, it is his and Union’s jobs as parents to listen and to give the best information and feedback.
“That doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it,” he said. “And so once Zaya, our 12-year-old came home … and said, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you guys, you know, I think going forward, I’m ready to live my truth and I want to be referenced as she and her. I would love for you guys to call me Zaya.'”
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Wade said it is now his and Union’s jobs to “go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship that we have,” adding that Union reached out to everybody on the cast of the FX show, “Pose.” “We’re just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be, you know, her best self.”
DeGeneres told him, “It must be a scary thing because it’s one thing for you to love her and your wife to love her,” but that he must just want everyone to love Zaya the same way.
“Exactly,” Wade responded. After Zaya came out, Wade said he looked at her and said, “You are a leader, and it’s our opportunity to allow you to be a voice. Right now it’s through us, because she’s 12 years old, but eventually it will be through her.”
Wade’s remarks on “The Ellen Show” were met with praise online.
“We hope one day ALL LGBTQ youth can have loving, supportive parents like” Wade and Union, the Human Rights Campaign said in a tweet.
Angelica Ross, a transgender actress and advocate who stars in the hit drama “Pose,” also expressed support.
“I was so touched when @itsgabrielleu reached out! BOTH she and @DwyaneWade are so committed to getting it right as parents,” Ross tweeted, in part.
Janet Mock, a producer on “Pose,” wrote in a tweet: “We LOVE to see it! Black parents exhibiting that unconditional love for their child who’s doing the courageous work of being her perfect trans girl self in a world that ain’t yet ready. We got you Zaya, @gabunion @DwyaneWade & fam!”
In December, Wade responded to social media users who criticized the appearance of Zaya, who wore a cropped top and white nails in a family photo.
“As a parent my only goal is that my kids feel that I see them, love them and support them,” he wrote in a tweet.
In an interview over the summer, Wade said he had supported Zaya’s attending the Miami Beach Gay Pride parade in April. Zaya is one of Wade’s three children from a previous relationship. Wade and Union are also parents to Kaavia James, who was born via a surrogate in November 2018.
“I think as a family, we should support each other. That’s our job,” Wade said in the June interview. “And my job as a father is to facilitate their lives and to support them and be behind them in whatever they want to do.”