Rhelyn Harder
- Dwayne Wade’s son joined the celebration and was fully supported by his family
- As a father, his job is to support his son
- Wade said that being a parent means being unselfish
NBA star Dwayne Wade was praised for supporting his son who was attending a gay pride parade, but the recently retired player just said that it was “his job as a father.”
During the Gay Pride Parade at Miami Beach, Wade’s son joined the celebration and was fully supported by his family, including his stepmother Gabrielle Union. Zion was 12 years old and hadn’t told the public how he identifies himself.
“I don’t really talk about it much because it’s Zion’s story to tell,” Wade told Variety in an interview. “I think as a family, we should support each other. That’s our job. And my job as a father is to facilitate their lives and to support them and be behind them in whatever they want to do.”
Unfortunately, Wade wasn’t able to attend the parade because he was in Toronto playing a game against the Toronto Raptors. To show his support to his son, he posted on his Instagram stories saying “we support each other with Pride!” and “wish I was there to see you smile.”
Wade also said that being a parent means being “unselfish.”
The NBA star received mix reactions but most of these comments were positive. In an interview, he said “This is my job as a father. I’m very uneasy about accolades that come from supporting my kids or the negativity that comes from it.”
Thank you @DwyaneWade and @itsgabrielleu for loving on Zion so publicly. Homophobia has no place in our community. It costs you nothing to love and support a queer child. https://t.co/WVm9sjVGhv
— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) June 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/106th/status/1141042940816613377
“I’m doing what every parent has to do. Once you bring kids into this world, you become unselfish. It’s my job to be their role model, to be their voice in my kids’ lives, to let them know you can conquer the world.
“So, go and be your amazing self and we’re going to sit back and just love you.”
Wade left a message to parents of LGBT+ kids during the Pride Month and said “I think people expect you to parent each kid the same. They are all different, and I have to get to know them and where they are.
“I have to say to most parents, get to know your kids. Don’t put your wants and needs on them,” Wade added.
