Dwayne Wade explains why he left Florida, citing lack of family acceptance for his transgender daughter

Former NBA star Dwayne Wade has discussed his family’s decision to relocate from Florida, which he hinted at being due to the current political climate surrounding transgender policies. Wade’s conversation, which will air on Showtime’s new talk show “Headliners with Rachel Nichols,” features the reporter's meetings with top NBA figures. Nichols asked Wade about his thoughts on LGBTQ policies by Florida politicians and how it affects families like his own. In 2020, Wade’s 15-year-old daughter Zaya came out as transgender.

Wade, who is 41, said in a clip shared with People Magazine that "That's another reason why I don't live in that state. A lot of people don't know that," and that "I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions." Despite appreciating the tax incentives in Florida and the temporary renaming of Miami-Dade County in his honor, the negatives outweigh the positives. "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 said in the interview.

The former Miami Heat player also discussed how he models his fathering style after his own dad, who accepted all of his sons and others in their community when he was growing up. Wade had to educate himself and get a better understanding of transgenderism and lost some friends along the way, but in the end, he remained unwavering in his love for his kids and the need to understand them.

Along with Zaya, Wade is the father to a 4-year-old daughter, Kaavia, an 8-year-old son, Xavier Zechariah, and a 20-year-old son, Zaire.