It was only recently that Dwyane Wade opened up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about his 12-year-old daughter, Zaya, coming out to him and his wife, Gabrielle Union, as transgender. And as of yesterday, we're now seeing Zaya embracing her identity by walking the red carpet as such and owning her identity completely. Dwyane posted a supportive Instagram post to share the very special and powerful moment with the rest of the world, as well as to let everyone know that he's behind his daughter every step of the way as Zaya embraces her new identity and grows into the person she was always meant to be.
The family stepped out together in high fashion, no less, for the Truth Awards, an annual event that celebrates members and allies of the black LGBTQ+ community, Saturday night in Los Angeles. It was a very powerful moment for Zaya, as well as Dwyane and Gabrielle, and it definitely seemed like the perfect moment for Zaya to get to shine, knowing that she had a ton of support behind her.
Last month on Ellen, Dwyane talked about finding out that Zaya, born as Zion, wanted to transition. Obviously, as a parent, it has to be a tough conversation no matter how much you support and love your child. You knew and loved them as a different gender, and so even parents who want to be supportive often struggle for the right words in that moment.
Dwyane seemed incredibly confident in knowing exactly how he wanted to support his child, though. It's definitely something that other parents going through the same thing can look up to and learn from. He said on Ellen, “First of all, me and my wife, Gabrielle Union, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re proud allies as well."
He continued, “We take our roles and our responsibilities as parents very seriously.” That's for sure. Ellen was quick to point out how incredibly well she thought both Dwyane and Gabrielle have handled it all, praising the couple for “unconditionally supporting your child."
Now that Zaya has stepped out in her new identity, Dwyane's supporting her even more. He posted on Instagram last night, helping Zaya reintroduce herself to the world. “Everyone allow her to re-introduce herself her name is Zaya Wade!” Dwyane captioned a photo of Zaya he posted.
“Last night was Zaya’s first red carpet and we couldn’t have been prouder of how she handled the questions that were asked of her. She has emerged as one of the young faces and voices for the LGBTQ+ community.” While being young and in the spotlight has to be tough, it seems like Zaya is doing incredibly well with all of the pressures that come with it.
Dwyane also shared another post, saying, "Zaya how does that custom @richfresh feel???" It was a playful question, of course, making sure that his daughter felt good in her skin and in her clothes. "Last night was a dope experience for our family," he wrote.
Dwyane wasn't the only one giving Zaya some social media love. Stepmom Gabrielle Union shared her thoughts and feelings on Zaya's big night on Instagram, as well. She shared that it was an incredibly emotional night for the entire family. Gabrielle has also been incredibly supportive of Zaya, and that was definitely apparent last night.
"It was an EPIC night filled with so much love & a real sense of community," she wrote. "It was important for Zaya to be a part of such a beautiful night & reminding her of all the love & support she has. We were moved to tears so many times throughout the night. So much gratitude."
There are just so many wonderful and inspirational things about watching not only how Zaya has proudly owned her identity and shown it off to the world but also how the entire family has supported her every step of the way. It's clear that Zaya doesn't have to question whether her father has her back. The same goes for stepmom Gabrielle.
While surely there had to have been some tough points in this journey for Zaya and her family, it's amazing how much confidence kids can have in who they are when they are given the emotional support they need. All kids deserve love from their families and the freedom to be who they are. Dad Dwyane has been a shining example of how to love your kids unconditionally and make sure they always know you're in their corner.
