Father and daughter relationship Dwyane Wade has made no secret of his pride in his daughter Zaya’s development throughout the years.
The professional basketball player revealed the transgender Zaya in February 2020. “First of all, me and my wife, Gabrielle Union, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re proud allies as well,” Wade said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, adding, “We take our roles and our responsibilities as parents very seriously.”
The athlete said at the time that the couple’s “job as parents” was to “listen” to their kids and “give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can. And that doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it.”
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With his ex-Siohvaughn Funches, Wade welcomed son Zaire in 2002 and daughter Zaya in 2007. The former NBA player and Aja Metoyer received their baby, Xavier, in 2013. In November 2018 after getting married to Union, the pair had their daughter Kaavia through surrogacy.
Additionally, the actress has been open about discovering more about Zaya’s gender identity. “It’s watching the love handle the hate that has been encouraging,” the We’re Going to Need More Wine author told Variety in May 2020.
“We’re just loving and accepting our kids, which is not revolutionary. To some people it’s nuts. For those people who have spoken out so publicly against our family … I’m not standing on my own. The cavalry is arriving, and they are unafraid to stand in their truth and not be compromising when we look at right and wrong.”
Wade applauded his daughter for her willingness to be open about her personal journey in the months leading up to Pride in June 2022.
“I went years without telling my chef that I don’t like cilantro on my burger — as an adult, it took me years to have the confidence to say that,” he said to CNN at the time. “My daughter, at 8 years old, had the confidence to say, ‘This is who I am. This is who I want to be.’”
The native of Illinois praised his daughter for her desire to assist others in the LGBTQIA+ community that same month.
“My family, we’re not celebrating [Pride]. Zaya made it very clear that she [doesn’t] want to celebrate Pride. I think every day for her, having a loving, supportive community around her is her celebratory moment,” he exclusively told Us Weekly.
“But the biggest thing is my daughter said, ‘We want to be able to help other families.’ So throughout our foundations, we try to make sure we are helping the LGBTQIA+ community. That’s how we celebrate.”
Wade retaliated against Funches in November 2022 after the company owner accused him of profiting from Zaya’s gender identification.
“I have concerns that [Dwyane] may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies, and will receive based upon [his] statements to me, on the basis of our child’s name and/or gender change,” the AWOW Women founder said in a court document referring to her ex-husband’s petition to formally change Zaya’s name.
By way of Instagram, the NBA player officially denied Funches’ claims, saying that her “serious and harmful allegations” have “hurt” their children.
“While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn’s attempt to fight Zaya’s identity and her unwavering attempt to drag my name through the mud, I’m very disappointed that she continuously find ways of centering herself and HER needs, without regard to her children,” Wade wrote in November.
He continued: “All I ever wanted was to have my parenting time uninterrupted, as I knew it would be difficult for our kids to navigate their new normal. So Instead of actually trying to co-parent over the years,
she’s left her home to see more lawyers and has taken the time to talk to more lawyers since I filed for divorce, than she’s left her home to actually see or have truly spoken and LISTENED to Zaya over all these years.”
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