Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union are providing more details about their choice to move their family from Florida to California.
The 41-year-old retired NBA legend and the 50-year-old actor from “Bad Boys II” expressed that locating a supportive community for their transgender daughter, Zaya Wade, played a significant role in their choice to relocate from Florida in 2021.
Union stated in a recent interview with Parents magazine that if her child’s safety is at risk due to the rhetoric being promoted in Florida and implemented as law, sending her child to such a place is not a viable choice.
The ex-Miami Heat player stated, “There are numerous factors that led us to choose California as the ideal location for our family, and finding a supportive community for Zaya was a significant aspect of that decision.” “We believed that California would provide her with the opportunity to thrive and develop. She has been able to find acceptance and express her true self here, and now she is entering her junior year in high school.”
The couple from Union says that those who don’t have friends and family have the privilege of moving. “We are fighting to protect all the kids who are oppressed until we can breathe. It is our responsibility to trust and be trusted by people on large platforms.”
“I will now lay across to listen to her talk about her community for two to three hours,” he continued. “Since then, we have been cheering for her because she can walk down the runway in Paris for the first time with confidence. My daughter Zaya has been living with us since she was born, so we have been cheering for her because she can walk down the runway in Paris for the first time with confidence. Along the way, he learned the power of empowering children and forced him to do therapy with your children. Wade said he is fighting for custody of Zaya.”
In February 2020, the teenager was ultimately given a legal name and gender alteration following a heated legal dispute with Zaya’s mother, Siohvaughn Funches. Zaya revealed her transgender identity at the age of 12 and is currently fifteen years of age.
Shortly after, Wade spoke with Ellen DeGeneres during her show, expressing that he and his parents are “proud allies” in the LGBTQ+ community, showcasing their support.
Our responsibility as parents is to take our roles very seriously when it comes to our child’s issues, questions, or anything that concerns them. We must listen to them and provide them with the best information that we can, especially when it comes to sexuality, as it is now an involved and changing topic.
In March, she featured on the front page of Dazed magazine. She additionally starred in promotions for Miu Miu and Tiffany & Co, commencing a modeling vocation a few years subsequent to coming out.
Over the past couple of years, our understanding and acceptance have expanded as we have actively combated ignorance and educated ourselves. In March, Zaya told Dazed, “As a family, we strive to grow and further educate ourselves to show appreciation and support for the entire LGBTQ+ community.” It’s not just my job, but also a personal commitment to honor and continue my family’s journey. Additionally, many significant changes have occurred for me personally in the last few years.
She expressed, “In their presence, I experience a sense of power. Irrespective of the circumstances, I felt utmost empowered when encompassed by her relatives,” she further conveyed to the publication.
Zaya, the eldest daughter of Truth and Wade, was highly praised at the 2023 NAACP Awards for accepting the President’s Award in February.
Wade said to his daughter, “I admire how you handle the ignorance in our world that you face every day. Even though it’s not easy, I have watched you walk out of every house as the morning, and I have seen how gracefully you have taken the public scrutiny. As your father, I wanted to get it all right, Zaya.”
We will continue to fight for the rights and protection of the most vulnerable among us, specifically Black transgender individuals who are being hunted and terrorized in this country every day. We demand equality at the forefront of our advocacy efforts, and we will not fail to extend our support to those who need it. Will we continue to fight for the acceptance and equal treatment of all people in our Union?
The lives of our people should not come at a high cost. We should not encourage young people to harm themselves or to hate others. It is important that people do not discriminate against Black transgender individuals or look at them differently compared to others when it comes to justice systems or lawmakers. Instead of fueling division and hatred, it is worth having a conversation to find ways to build bridges. As leaders, activists, and parents, we should approach this work with the same amount of love for our children.