Dwayne Wade introduced his daughter, Zaya Wade, to the world earlier this week. He and his wife, Gabrielle Union, are proud to be parents of a child who is excited to be themself, regardless of others’ opinions. At only 12 years of age, Zaya’s advocacy and passion for the LGBTQ+ community makes her that much more admirable.
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, Wade appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and stated that he and his wife “take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously. So when our child comes home with a question, when our child comes home with an issue, when our child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can.” He later mentioned how Zaya, previously referred to as Zion, came home and told her parents that she would like to be referred to with female pronouns. In a recent Twitter video posted by Gabrielle, Zaya is riding around in a golf cart with her dad, and she says how important it is to “be true and not really care about what the stereotypical way of being you.”Â
Over the holidays, Union posted an Instagram photo that caused much backlash from the world. The photo showed the Wade family cozily standing on a stairwell posing for the camera. In the photo, Zaya has a crop top on with acrylic nails, which caused people to turn their heads. The comments section of the Instagram post was filled with hate coming from thousands of people. The family blissfully ignored the comments and continued to support their daughter. While there were many hate comments, there was also a heartwarming number of love being shown from others as well. Being public figures, Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union have the world looking in on their lives constantly, and even still they show their unconditional love and support for their child.
The bravery that the Wade family exudes should be celebrated, not only to show love and compassion but to also teach a lesson in family unity and respect for individuality. It is not uncommon to receive mixed reviews on topics in today’s modern culture of social media, and with the Wade’s being allies of the LGBTQ+ community, it proves that even more. People assume that because of the life path that Dwayne has taken, he should encourage that onto his son. However, because of the comfortability he and his family have with themselves and their individuality, they are secure enough to allow Zaya to live to be her truest self. The public support that they express, has sparked a conversation that does not happen too often. Many look up to the Wade’s, and their support for this community has only expanded the number of people who admire them. The path that this family has taken with their everlasting support for Zaya, is something that is necessary to keep future generations inspired to live their truth.
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