This week Dwyane Wade made headlines after telling Ellen DeGeneres that he’s proud of his daughter Zaya for coming out as transgender. Now his wife Gabrielle Union is driving home the family’s support by posting inspiring clips of the 12-year-old explaining why she thinks it’s important to be “true to yourself.”
Tuesday, the actress took to her social media to post a video of Zaya taken by husband Wade. It showed the preteen speaking frankly to her dad about how she sees the world.
“Meet Zaya,” Union wrote in her caption. “She’s compassionate, loving, whip smart and we are so proud of her. It’s Ok to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people.”
READ MORE: Dwyane Wade is proud of his child Zaya and wants her to ‘be her best self’
Meet Zaya. She's compassionate, loving, whip smart and we are so proud of her. It’s Ok to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people. pic.twitter.com/G2lLVdD2VT
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) February 11, 2020
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“What’s the point of being on this earth if you’re going to try to be someone you’re not?,” Zaya asks in the clip. She then goes on to explain that she’s come to realize it’s best not to “really care what the stereotypical way of being ‘you’ is.”
“Even when people are being mean, and even when people are getting hurt because they’re trying to be themselves?” Wade asks. “Even though you still want people to live their truth?”
“Yes. I know it can be tough, definitely, but I think you push through, and you be the best you,” she responds. “Even through hard times you gotta push through. It’s worth it when you reach that point of, yourself.”
“Feeling free, feeling like you, feeling like you don’t have to hide,” Wade chimes in.
Zaya was assigned male at birth and was formerly named Zion. She now wishes to be referred to as Zaya. She also wants to be addressed by the female pronouns she/her. Wade is all for it. The former NBA star told DeGeneres it’s his job as a parent to give all of his children the support they need to live their truth. There will be no exception with Zaya.
