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Dwyane Wade's Family Moved Out Of Florida Over Anti-Trans Rhetoric
The state's anti-LGBTQ laws are forcing families to make difficult choices.
Dwyane Wade is opening up about why he and his family left Florida, highlighting the struggle that parents in states with conservative leadership across the country are currently dealing with.
“My family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there,” the former Miami Heat player said in a clip shared with People from an upcoming episode of Headliners. “And so that’s one of the reasons why I don’t live there.”
Wade admitted that the tax situation in the county where he and his family lived was “great,” but that just wasn't enough for him when he was taking everything into consideration — including his teen daughter, Zaya, who came out as trans in 2020.
“I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions,” he said.
Florida has been among the states pursuing some of the most aggressive anti-LGBTQ legislation in the past several years, including the notorious and still-expanding “Don’t Say Gay” law as well as a bill that would allow the state to take custody of children who are receiving gender-affirming care under a doctor’s supervision and with permission from their parents.
Considering Wade’s tireless support of his children in being exactly who they are, it stands to reason that he would make sure they grow up in a place where that isn’t threatened by politicians eager to throw their weight around and use trans people as pawns in a larger political game.
Many other parents across the United States currently find themselves debating leaving their homes and communities for similar reasons, albeit often without Wade’s resources. But his approach to parenting and focusing on what his children need to thrive is undoubtedly relatable to those in a similar position.
“I had to educate myself and yes, I had to get a better understanding,” Wade said of his journey with Zaya. “And yes, I had to lose some friends along the process, but I never wavered on loving my kids and trying to find space to get the chance to understand them.”
Wade has four children.
Wade is 6'4".
Wade retired in 2019.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
