Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Moved Their Family Out of Florida Because of Anti-LGBT Policies
“My family would not be accepted."
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Dwyane Wade has his family's best interest at heart, and the NBA star is showing his protective dad side in a new interview. The Miami Heat alum told Rachel Nichols why he and wife Gabrielle Union moved their family moved out of Florida, a decision made largely in part due to the state's notorious anti-LGBT policies (pushed by many Fla. politicians, including Gov. Ron DeSantis). Dwyane's 15-year-old daughter Zaya came out as transgender in 2020.
“My family would not be accepted or feel comfortable [in Florida],” Wade said. “And so that's one of the reasons why I don't live there."
He added, "I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.”
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He also revealed that his parenting style now is very similar to that of his father's. "I tell my dad all the time, I'm just a mirror image of the way he loved us and the way that he accepted not only myself and my brothers, but other kids in the community that didn't have father figures."
Wade told Nichols that the experience has required him to learn and expand his knowledge, but at the end of the day, all that matters is his love for his kids. "Yes, I had to educate myself and yes, I had to get a better understanding," he said. "And yes, I had to lose some friends along the process, but I never wavered on loving my kids and trying to find space to get the chance to understand them."
Wade and Union have been vocal in the past about LGBTQ+ rights and their daughter Zaya's experience. In a previous interview with InStyle — tied to the promotion of her film The Inspection (in which she plays a homophobic mother) — the actress said she is ready to "fight" for her step-daughter.
“I will fight so my child does not have the same fate, and so that my child doesn't lose hope," she said. "And hopefully, if I can get that in my own household, other households will find more hope and change before it gets to where we got to in the film. It's hard to watch, because it's real.”
Dwyane shares Zaya, along with son Zaire, with his ex-wife Siovaughn Funches. He also has son Xavier, whom he shares with Aja Metoyer. Wade and Union also share 4-year-old daughter Kaavia James.
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