Retired NBA star Dwyane Wade recently opened up about parenting a transgender child on the I Am Athlete podcast.
The episode was called “Dwyane Wade: G.O.A.T. of Parenting” and featured Brandon Marshall, Fred Taylor, Channing Crowder, and Ryan Clark discussing family life.
Wade directly addressed parenting his daughter, Zaya, saying that he and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, had questions about their child’s differences at a very early age.
“People don’t want to hear this sh** and don’t believe this sh**,” Wade said. “At three years old, me and my wife looked at each other and said, ‘What if?’ What if, at the time, the name was Zion, comes home one day and says, ‘Dad I’m gay,’ or ‘Dad, I’m this, I’m that.’ What are you going to do, sir?”
Wade said it was early that he began to mentally prepare himself for the likelihood that his then-son was gay. He said his middle child, who was named Zion at the time, opened up to their family about being gay at 8 years old.
At 12, the youngster then came out as transgender and adopted the name Zaya.
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In the I Am Athlete podcast, Wade also addressed several of the people who have criticized his parenting, like rapper Boosie and former B2K member J-Boog. “All the people who got something to say about my kids, I thank you,” said Wade, “because you allowing the conversation to keep going forward. Because you know what? We might not have all the answers, but we’re growing from each conversation.”
Boosie has been one of the most vocal critics of Wade’s parenting, saying he had “gone too far” in the way he was raising his child and insinuating that Zaya was unsure of who she is because of her age.
“So,” said Wade, “I thank everybody for even hating and starting those conversations — because those conversations are starting other conversations.”
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