Dwayne Wade Opens Up About His Son Zion And Learning To Be A Better Dad
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Guesting On A Podcast
Dwayne Wade was a guest on Showtime’s All the Smoke podcast this week, and he opened up about he and his wife Gabrielle Union are devoted to raising their kids. He specifically spoke about his 12-year-old son Zion, who is openly gay.
"I watched my son, from day one, become into who she now eventually come into. And for me… nothing changes in my love. Nothing changes in my responsibilities. So, all I had to do now is get smarter educate myself more. And that’s my job."
The Power In Their Voice
Wade continued, explaining how he and Union "talk about making sure our kids understand the power in their voice."
"First of all, you want to talk about strength and courage, my 12-year-old has way more than I have. You can learn something from your kids.
We want them to be whoever they feel that they can be in this world. That’s our goal. Understand you can be whoever and you can be whatever."
Wade explained that he is dedicated to helping Zion navigate his burgeoning sexuality while also learning what it's like growing up as a young black man.
"Me and my wife are having conversations about, you know, us noticing that, you know, [Zion] wasn’t on the boy vibe that Zaire was on. And I had to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘What if your son comes home and tell you he’s gay? What are you going to do? How are you going to be? How are you going to act?’ It ain’t about him. He knows who he is. It’s about you. Who are you?"
Backlash Online
Wade also addressed the backlash that they faced after Union posted a picture of the family at Thanksgiving that featured Zion in a crop top with his nails done. Wade ultimately feels that he is dedicated to using his position for "a lot of people that don’t have the same voice that I have."
"I’m speaking for so many others in the LGBTQ+ community. All these people that’s out there saying these things, look at yourself. Understand that you’re the one that’s got the issues. You’re the one that’s got the problem,” he continued. “It’s not the kids, it’s not the ones who decide, ‘Yeah, you born a certain way, you gotta be that way.’ That’s not life, man."
The New Normal
Wade urges others against hate towards people who are "unique." It's time to get with the program.
"This is the new normal. So, if anybody different, we’re looked at as different. The ones that don’t understand it. The ones that don’t get it. The ones that get stuck in the box, you know, they’re different. Not the people out here living their lives.
You want your kids to be free and living their lives. And I don’t care what you want to do from this standpoint. If you want to play a sport, then play a sport. You don’t have to be like me. Play your sport and be yourself.
You know, whatever you want to do, it’s my job to support you and make sure that you have all the tools you need to be as happy as you can be in this world while you’re doing it. While you’re growing into the person you are, that you’re going to grow into. So, they’re not different, they’re normal. The ones that don’t understand it are the ones that are different."
