Former NBA star Dwayne Wade has discussed his family’s decision to leave the state of Florida, which he hinted at being due to the current political climate around transgender policies.
Wade’s conversation will air Thursday on “Headliners with Rachel Nichols,” Showtime’s new talk show that centers around the reporter’s meetings with top NBA figures.
Wade was asked about Florida politicians who stand against LGBTQ policies, and how the situation affects families like his own. In 2020, Wade’s 15-year-old daughter Zaya came out as transgender.
“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade told Nichols in a clip shared with People Magazine. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.”
The former Miami Heat player, 41, said that he does appreciate the tax incentives in the state, as well as the fact that Miami-Dade County was temporarily renamed “Miami-Wade County” in his honor.
But the positives don’t outweigh the negatives for Wade, who said, “My family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. And so that’s one of the reasons why I don’t live there.”
Wade also discussed how he models his fathering style after his own dad, whom he described accepting of all his sons in addition to others in their community when he was growing up.
“And so I don’t know any difference,” Wade added. “And so yes, I had to educate myself and yes, I had to get a better understanding. 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, who’s married to actress Gabrielle Union, is also father to a 4-year old daughter, Kaavia, 8-year-old son, Xavier Zechariah and 20-year-old son, Zaire.
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