Dwyane Wade moved his family out of Florida following the state’s recent anti-LGBT+ legislation.
The former Miami Heat star sat down with Rachel Nichols on a recent episode of “Headliners” and discussed the hypocrisy of certain Florida politicians who claim to be his fans yet pass policies that negatively affect his family.
“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade explained. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.”
Wade’s 15-year-old daughter, Zaya, came out as transgender in 2020. After a long legal battle with her mother, Siohvaughn Funches, the teen was finally granted a legal name and gender change in February.
Although the athlete misses the “great” tax benefits in the Sunshine State, he knows his “family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there.”
Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, have been very outspoken about their support for Zaya over the years, yet the teen says there is still work to be done.
“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 magazine last month.
“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.”
And with that support and encouragement, Zaya has taken the fashion world by storm.
The teen graced her first magazine cover last month and recently made her runway debut during Miu Miu’s fall/winter 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week.
Wade is also father to 8-year-old son Xavier Zechariah, 20-year-old son Zaire and daughter Kaavia James, 4.
