In a new interview, the 40-year-old former NBA star discusses his concern about the safety of his 15-year-old daughter Zaya, who came out as trans two years ago.
- Jun 9, 2022
AceShowbiz - Dwyane Wade is "afraid every moment" his daughter leaves the house. Talking about his 15-year-old daughter Zaya, who came out as trans two years ago, the 40-year-old former NBA star admitted he's constantly worried about her safety because of how people "perceive her" in the world.
In a new interview with CNN at the TIME100 summit, he said, "As blessed as it is for my daughter to have parents who can support her, I'm still afraid every moment she leaves the house. And not just because of gun violence, but because of the way people perceive her in this world."
Dwyane went on to urge lawmakers to spend a day with Zaya to understand the impact anti-trans policies have on her life. "To me, it's a joke. This is our life. We live this. When you're out there making rules, if you're not experiencing this. Come and live a day with my daughter. Come and see how it is to walk through this world as her."
The former sportsman is proud of Zaya, who he has with former partner Siohvaughn Funches - for having the confidence to be herself from such a young age. He said, "I went years without telling my chef that I don't like cilantro on my burger - as an adult, it took me years to have the confidence to say that." He continued, "My daughter, at eight years old, had the confidence to say, 'This is who I am. This is who I want to be.' "
Dwyane - who also shares Zaire with Siohvaughn, Xavier with Aia Metoyer, and Kaavia with wife [c=Gabriel Union, previously admitted he had learned a lot from Zaya. "I didn't know anything, I really wasn't knowledgeable about the LGBTQ+ community," he opened up. "What it has done is it opened my eyes and my ears to something greater and bigger than I, and my daughter has allowed us gracefully to be her support system."
