In an interview on The Ellen Degeneres Show, NBA star Dwyane Wade shared the moment his child, 12-year-old Zaya, came out as transgender, saying he told her “you are a leader.” “First of all me and my wife, Gabrielle Union, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community and we’re proud allies as well,” Wade said. “We take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously. So, when our child comes home with a question, when our child comes home with an issue, when our child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that to give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can, and that doesn’t change now that sexuality [and gender] is involved.” Wade said that the teenager sat down with him and Union and asked to be referred to with she/her pronouns and to be called Zaya. “I looked at her and said you are a leader,” he said of his conversation with Zaya. “It’s our opportunity to allow you to be a voice. Right now, it’s through us because she’s 12 years old, but eventually it will be through her.”

DeGeneres noted on her show that Wade and his family are working with GLSEN, an organization working to fight discrimination, harassment, and bullying of LGBT+ individuals and prompt inclusion and acceptance of queer and trans children in schools. Wade said he and his wife reached out to their contacts to “figure out as much information as we can to help our child be her best self.” Union posted a video on Tuesday of Zaya, who says, “What’s the point of being on this earth if you’re gonna try to be someone you’re not. You’re not even living as yourself, which is the dumbest concept to me.”