Dwyane Wade Defends daughter's new gender identity

Dwyane Wade dropped by Ellen Degeneres to speak about parenthood, specifically about being a parent accepting of his child’s newfound gender identity. Previously known as Zion Wade, Dwyane’s 12 year old has asked to be called by she/her pronouns, as she comes to recognize herself as Zaya. Telling Ellen, “We are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ community,” Wade and Gabrielle Union are continuing to be allies for the community, as well as educate themselves on how to be a voice for Zaya until she can find her own.

It's refreshing to see parents of such status take on both a private and public responsibility for their roles as supporters and guides for their children. A responsibility, Wade assures, “doesn’t change because of sexuality.” Wade, a championship winning basketball player, is a symbolic representation for the type of masculinity and strength America is used to idolizing. Seeing someone of his status and global recognition not giving in to or enforcing the traditional definition of what masculinity is or should be, is truly admirable.

This isn’t the first time Dwyane has spoken up for Zaya. Late last year in an Instagram holiday picture, social media trolls came for his child because she had manicured nails and a crop top on.

via Insider

Hopefully we get to a time where Dwyane, Gabrielle and other parents will not need to publicly define or defend what it means to love and accept their child, and the world will recognize that everyone, no matter their self-identity should be accepted as is.