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'Millionaire feeling oppressed?' Dwyane Wade slammed for saying family left Florida over anti-LGBTQ laws

Teachers in all Florida public schools for all grade levels are no longer permitted to discuss gender identity and sexual orientation with students

MIAMI, FLORIDA: NBA legend Dwyane Wade has claimed that he and his family left Florida because of what he calls the state's restrictive laws that violate LGBTQ people's rights. The former Miami Heat player has four children, including Zaya, 15, who came out as transgender in 2020. She has since officially changed both her name and gender and Wade openly expressed his support for her.

Before tying the knot with Gabrielle Union in 2007, the three-time NBA champion welcomed Zaya with Siohvaughn Funches, his high school sweetheart and first wife. In his speeches, he emphasized the need of valuing each individual for who they are, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity. He has received widespread acclaim for his stances on LGBTQ issues. Wade's recent revelation of why he left his home state, despite being a well-known figure, has led to significant social media backlash.

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'My family wouldn't feel comfortable'

During a conversation with journalist, host, and NBA reporter Rachel Nichols on her program 'Headliners', Wade said, "You know, obviously, the taxes are great. Having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. And, so that's one of the reasons why I don't live there," he stated. "A lot of people don't know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions." Wade explained how certain laws and practices adopted by the state of Florida currently make it difficult for him and his family to feel welcome and at home there.

In an unprecedented action approved by Ron DeSantis' board of education just last week, teachers in all Florida public schools for all grade levels are no longer permitted to discuss gender identity and sexual orientation with their students. The action represents a significant expansion of the Parental Rights in Education Act, popularly known among detractors as the "Don't Say Gay" law, which was approved by the governor last year and set off a national uproar.

The policy's opponents believe that it would hurt children who identify as gay or transgender. While the expansion would now apply to pupils up to the age of 18, the prior version of the law only forbade the teaching of these themes to students aged 5 through 8. The regulation, which was previously limited to the third grade in the state, now covers grades four through twelve. DeSantis is currently campaigning in South Carolina, where he has railed against "woke" issues like transgenderism, as per Daily Mail.

When did his son start identifying as female?

According to her father Wade, Zaya was aware of her gender identity when she was 3 years old. He gave his daughter credit for enlightening his family on what it meant to be transgender. "Zaya has known it for nine years," the NBA star said to Robin Roberts in 2020 on 'Good Morning America'. When questioned if he was aware Zaya, who was given the gender male at birth, identified as a transgender girl, Wade said: "I knew early on that I had to check myself. ... I've been a person in the locker room that has been a part of the conversation that has said the wrong phrases and the wrong words myself," as per NBC News.

Wife's objection

In August, he submitted a petition to alter Zaya's gender and name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade. She has gone by the name Zaya for two years. Wade and Zaya's 50-year-old stepmother Union have been staunch supporters of the aspiring model ever since she came out as transgender. In an effort to prevent her child from officially changing her name and gender, Zaya's birth mother started a petition, claiming she was being financially forced to make the choice. When Wade was granted custody of his two children in 2011 following their divorce, he claimed in court that he had the "full authority" to "make decisions on behalf" of Zaya. Wade's claim was rejected. Since then, Zaya has established a successful modeling career for herself and has emerged as a rising social media star, with more than 603,000 followers on Instagram. 

'Poor little millionaire feeling oppressed?'

Meanwhile, the internet was quick to slam the NBA icon's claims. A user tweeted, "Always devastated for uber-wealthy celebrities when they pretend their families don’t feel comfortable." Another wrote, "He is a joke, clearly not a serious person." One user mentioned, "lol…someone lives in their fanfic bubble." Another said, "Poor little millionaire feeling oppressed?" "Bu**s**t. People loved him here, and Miami is super accepting of everyone. Wtf is wrong with him?" another asked.

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