The former NBA star files court papers asking that his 15-year-old transgender daughter be allowed to change her name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.
- Aug 19, 2022
AceShowbiz - Dwyane Wade continues to support his daughter Zaya Wade in her transgender journey. The former professional basketball player has reportedly taken action to make his daughter's gender change official.
According to Spectrum News, the father of four has filed court papers asking that his 15-year-old daughter be allowed to change her name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade. He also asks that the court legally issues a decree recognizing that the teen's gender is changed to "female."
In the petition filed to Los Angeles Superior Court, the husband of Gabrielle Union states that he has full authority to make decisions on his daughter's behalf and that he notified his former wife and Zaya's mother Siohvaughn Funches of the legal action as a courtesy. As to why the change is needed, it cites the reason as "to conform with gender identity."
Dwyane confirmed that his daughter is a transgender during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2020. "Our (then)-12-year-old ... came home and said, 'Hey, I want to talk to you guys,' " then asked to be called Zaya, he recalled. "We're just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self."
In a recent interview, the former NBA star revealed his fear concerning his daughter. He admitted he's constantly worried about her safety because of how people "perceive her" in the world.
"As blessed as it is for my daughter to have parents who can support her, I'm still afraid every moment she leaves the house," he said in the interview with CNN at the TIME100 summit. "And not just because of gun violence, but because of the way people perceive her in this world."
Dwyane went on to urge lawmakers to spend a day with Zaya to understand the impact anti-trans policies have on her life. "To me, it's a joke. This is our life. We live this. When you're out there making rules, if you're not experiencing this. Come and live a day with my daughter. Come and see how it is to walk through this world as her," he argued.
