Dwayne Wade is speaking up and out in defense of his 12-year-old son Zion.
The freshly retired NBA star has been outspoken about his unconditional love for his child, who identifies as homosexual. He and wife Gabrielle Union notably supported the youngster at his first Pride event over the summer.
Having been on the receiving end of critique from some corners of the internet, Wade addressed the matter during an appearance on the Showtime Basketball platform.
His words after the jump…
Wade said:
“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. I had to look myself in the mirror when my son at the time was 3 years old and me and my wife started having conversations about us noticing that he wasn’t on the boy vibe that Zaire [Wade’s other son] was on.”
He continued, saying:
“And, I had to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘What if your son come 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?
I grew up with the same perspective as a lot of these people out here that’s a little ignorant. I grew up with a similar perspective. And, you meet people along the way that help you take those glasses off and put on some different ones. Look through life through a different lens. That’s what my wife has been able to do. So, it’s been cool.
Everybody get used to it, man. This is the new normal.
So if anybody different, we looked at as different. You know what I’m saying? The ones that don’t understand it. The ones that don’t get it. The ones that are stuck in a box. You’re different. Not the people that are out here living their lives, man.”
Powerful sentiments!
Watch in full from the 30.00 mark…
I am so proud of D Wade man. Just wow.
The 12 year old is gay?
Yas gurl she betta Werk! We gunna see d wade as guest host on next seasons rpdr! Wit his gay son strutting down the runway lol
Stop exposing your kids on social media and let them lead ordinary lives. If Beyoncé can do it then so can the rest of these celebrities and you wouldn’t ldnt be complaining when social media does what’s designed to do attack.
Or just mind your business and let everyone share or not share whatever they want in their own lives. And that isn’t what social media is for. The people that attack are jealous, miserable and unhappy in their own lives so they harshly judge others. Normal ppl on social live and let live- THAT is what social media was invented for.
That might be the case but unfortunately we don’t live in a ideal world. His kid deserves privacy I as a stranger has no business knowing his kids sexual orientation but unfortunately I do because they just exposed it and put it out there. So take the good with the bad I might not troll attack and criticise because I respect people but not everybody is like that.
What does beyonce have to do with any of this? STFU please.
Shut up moron she is arguable a bigger star and if she can manage to hide her kids from extreme scrutiny what stops all these other celebrities?? She lives in LA yet how many paparazzi pics do you see of her and her kids?? Learn to use context you f****** moron. All these celebrities just dump their kids in the public face then complain and whinge when social media scrutinises did his kid ask for millions people to know his gay?? I bet you he didn’t… now f*** off!!
Dumb closeted crap. It’s q**** kids being killed by their own and you mad at Dwayne for standing in pride witu his kid with some b******* about privacy. Shut your self hating mouth
Plays worlds smallest violin you clearly are stupid, ugly and blind pick your struggle b**** I’m not a man so I’m not closeted anything. His kid can be openly gay that’s not the issue the issue is exposing him to millions of people who now can have whatever opinion they want which includes ridicule on an extremely large scale. His father had no right to expose Him to that. What’s wrong with people in his, family, neighbourhood or school just knowing his gay?they are the ones who interact with him on a daily basis? Now the whole world of every Tom d*** and Harry has to know this kid whose going through normal kids stuff has to now battle being known has Dwayne gay kid who likes getting his nails done is that the identity he chose?? Now again shut the f*** up b****!!
Like stopping kids watching r&b and hip hop vids cos seeing a child under 5 twerking is disgusting and tacky as f***
He and Gabrielle seem like great parents. This is love.
lmaoooo who cares, wheres the post about camiltoe caboose flopping in at #3 with only 45k pure sales lmfaooooooo
Wow! I didn’t know his son came out… But either way, he’s father of the year in my eyes. People just don’t know how many fathers CAN’T be this empathetic. Which is why a lot of boys or guys don’t come out.
Agreed
I commend him. Many heterosexual men wouldn’t be able to embrace this so openly. But usually it’s men who don’t have kids yet granted some parents do disown their children when they come out. But when you have a child your love for them is immeasurable
Like how a Black father killed his son for being gay and the recent one this year where the black father collected his sons bellongings and the boy and left the child on the side of a highway.
But his birth mother knew him first. What does she has to say? Gabrielle bringing her California thought process to the table. What about the mother from Chicago?
Wtf? His mom probably loves him and wants him/her to be who they are.
As long as he got a d***, he’s a boy.
He married Gabrielle 5 years ago. The kid was 3 when he and his wife then found out. Do the math. I know you tried to imply that the mom is not ok with it but that’s an ASSumption
STFU, that’s not what I meant. H e said Gab noticed that his son didn’t have the same masculine vibe as his other sons. That couldve meant he was softer, not gay. But when dad is walking around wearing earrings, who will the softer son mimic? Did Gab see him being interested in other boys or just wanting to wear earrings like dad? ALSO, would Dwade allow his daughter to wear long fake nails and a crop top at 12 years old? This is some Cali shyt.
D Wade seems to be one of the SELECT FEW and I mean VERY FEW homophobic heterosexual s whom aren’t also DELUSIONAL… BRAVO!
Albeit his son is SUB HUMAN and retarded and gay atleast D Wade knows of his own Irrelevance when it comes to that fact.