Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade with journalist Rachel Nichols (Screenshot/YouTube SHOWTIME)
Journalist Rachel Nichols sat down recently with former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade in a one-on-one for her new series “Headliners with Rachel Nichols” on Showtime. During the wide-ranging interview, Wade told Nichols he moved his family out of Florida because of the state’s increasing hostility to LGBTQ+ people — including his daughter, Zaya.
“What do you have to say to some of those state legislators who maybe have your jersey in their closets, who came and brought their kids to your games to cheer for you?” Nichols asked referring to the apparent hypocrisy of certain Florida lawmakers who claim to be his fans yet pass the DeSantis anti-LGBTQ+ policies negatively impacting his family.
“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade responded. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.”
Wade and his wife actress Gabrielle Union-Wade’s 15-year-old daughter, Zaya came out as transgender in 2020. After a long legal battle with with his ex-wife and Zaya’s mother, Siohvaughn Funches, the teen was finally granted a legal name and gender change this past February.
In a March 15 interview with Dazed magazine, Zaya spoke about her role as an activist, a Miu Miu model.
“I think it’s not my job, but it’s my honor to continue and further my family’s education and appreciation for the entire LBGTQ+ community as we grow together,” she told Dazed.
“As our understanding of acceptance has broadened over the past couple of years, we have made the strides to keep ourselves educated and combat the ignorance,” she continued.
Despite the learning curve, Zaya expressed that her family has been “such a giant support system” and that she feels “strongest when I’m with them.”
The former Heat shooting guard is also father to 8-year-old son Xavier Zechariah, 20-year-old son Zaire and daughter Kaavia James, 4.
BREAKING: Dwayne Wade just called out Ron DeSantis and his fascist, hateful, homophobic policies on national TV. Well done! pic.twitter.com/hMLVGeoHHK
— Defeat DeSantis (@_DefeatDesantis) April 27, 2023
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