Supportive parents will go to the ends of the Earth for their children. For Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, this meant moving their blended family out of Florida to California. While there were several pros and cons that went into making this decision, a big determining factor was their daughter Zaya, who is transgender. The couple felt the state was not a safe place for the teen anymore.
Zaya is 16 years old and came out at age 12. Her biological parents are Dwyane and his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches. Gabrielle and Dwayne share a biological daughter, Kaavia, and Dwyane is the proud father of five children, including an adopted nephew.
"There are a lot of reasons we decided California would be best for our family and finding a community for Zaya was a big part of that," Dwyane explained to Parents magazine. Gabrielle, Kaavia, and he graced the magazine's August cover.
"We felt that California was a place that would allow her to blossom and grow," he continued. "She's going to be a junior in high school now and she's been able to be accepted and become her here." Gabrielle and Dwyane make every effort to give their family the tools it needs to succeed.
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"When you have the kind of rhetoric that is being espoused in Florida and adopted into law, that's not an option if my child isn't safe there,” Gabrielle added.
She recognizes her family’s privilege in being able to move out of the state and sees it as her job to fight hard for those who cannot. "We have family and friends who don't have the privilege of moving,” she explained. “So, we are going to be fighting till we are out of breath to protect all kids who are oppressed. That is our responsibility as people with large platforms and as people who folks trust, and they trust us because we say the hard thing."
