Dwyane Wade Reveals Transgender Daughter Zaya Knew She Was Female Since Age 3 – Perez Hilton

February 23, 2020 Off By WhoThatCelebsRS

So proud of Dwyane Wade and his amazing 12-year-old daughter Zaya!

Zaya, who was born male

In the sit-down interview, during which the former NBA star also discusses his new ESPN documentary, Wade revealed to Roberts that Zaya was certain of her gender identity as a 3-year-old, saying (below):

“She’s known it for nine years. She’s known since she was 3 years old. Along this way we’ve asked questions and we’ve learned. But she’s known. And so I knew early on that I had to check myself. That’s what I knew. I knew early on that I had to ask myself questions.”

And considering the environment Wade’s used to — the locker room, for one, with plenty of hyper-masculine energy often closed off to the LGBT community — he knew he would have to step up and be a bigger man for it.

The longtime NBA superstar discussed more about that, too, saying:

“I’ve been a person in a locker room that has been a part of the conversation that has said the wrong phrases and the wrong words myself. As I got older and I watched my daughter grow, I had to go and look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Who are you? What are you going to do if your child comes home and says, ‘Dad, I’m not a boy … I’m a trans girl.’ What are you going to do?’ That was my moment of real.”

Very well said! So far, it appears he and wife Gabrielle Union have risen to the occasion and then some in providing support for Zaya to thrive, too.