For the last month, NBA star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union have been under fire by the transphobic community for referring to his 12-year- old daughter, Zaya, as ‘she.’ Zaya opened up to her parents that she was not comfortable in her birth gender identity. She was born a boy; however, she wants to be a woman. As many can imagine, there were lots of reactions to Zaya’s coming out, yet nobody can prepare for such negative responses. People have commented that Zaya should receive counseling for wanting to be a woman, and they have also attacked Wade and Union’s parenting skills.
During an interview with All The Smoke, Wade said, “I’ve watched my son from day one become into who she now eventually has come into. And for me it’s all about…nothing changes with my love; nothing changes with my responsibilities. Only thing I have to do now is get smarter and educate myself more, and that’s my job.” Many transphobic people have responded with degrading insults and have accused Wade and Union to be bad parents for supporting Zaya’s gender transformation. Many have said that they don’t agree as Zaya is only 12 years old and has not experienced life yet.
The transphobic community argues that a little boy cannot become a woman without experiencing manhood. However, that argument should and is irrelevant. The two parents have made it clear that they will continue to ensure that their children’s voices are heard. The two-state that they want their children to feel comfortable talking to them about sensitive topics such as gender identity. Wade and Union have slowly but surely been putting all of the adverse reactions to their daughter’s transformation journey to rest. To many, a good parent is one that supports their child regardless of the transformations they exhibit in life. Gabrielle and Dwyane are doing just that while providing limitless love and support for their family.