Retired NBA superstar Dwyane Wade tells Ellen about supporting his 12-year-old’s gender identity

There are so many tragic stories about parents rejecting their LGBTQ children or forcing them into things like reparative therapy.

Retired NBA superstar Dwyane Wade is quickly becoming a role model for how parents can embrace their children for who they really are.

Wade chats with Ellen DeGeneres about embracing his 12-year-old’s gender identity, and how he and his wife Gabrielle Union made it a priority to educate themselves about the LGBTQ+ community to give Zaya the opportunity to be her best self.

“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,” Wade said. “And that doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it.”

“I don’t know if everybody 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 I am ready to live my truth. I want to be referenced as ‘she’ and ‘her.’ I would love for you guys to call me Zaya.’ I looked at her and said, ‘You are our leader. You are our leader and this is 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 and Union have done everything they can to educate themselves: “Now it’s our job to one, go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship that we have. My wife reached out to everybody on the cast of 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 her best self.”