Dwyane Wade and his son, Zaire, are raising awareness about PRIDE and acceptance. The retired athlete, who joined his son in partnering with Bleacher Report to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity, recently sat down with PEOPLE exclusively to talk about his support of the LGBTQ+ community and the backlash he has received because of his advocacy.
“If you’re doing something that is new or uncommon, you’re going to have people who don’t want to understand,” Dwyane shared. “We don’t focus on the hate, but we know we have to address certain things because we understand that the platform that has been given to us is not just going to be all roses,” the retired NBA player said.
Several have criticized Dwyane Wade for supporting his daughter, Zaya Wade, and her journey as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Zaire, however, has come to both his father and younger sister’s defense on several occasions. The young adult’s more recent response to scrutiny was wrapped up in Zaire’s Father’s Day tribute to Dwyane Wade. The young adult praised his father for being an excellent parent while also slamming trolls for criticizing his father for being present.
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“What more do you want out of your dad than to love and support whatever you do in life,” Zaire asked the haters. “Despite all the hate and negativity that comes his way he still continues to be true to his family. Now THAT’S a father,” Zaire declared.
Dwyane Wade did not deny the pain that scrutiny from outsiders causes during his recent conversation with PEOPLE. The celebrity father, however, remains confident of there being a light at the end of the tunnel.
“The world is all about evolving and growing,” Wade shared. “The term community is not new. That LGBTQIA community is nothing new. This has been going on for hundreds of years. And so now it’s become an issue and it’s unfortunate. It is flat out wrong and it’s going to take us and so many others to keep fighting.”
Photo: YnG DnA/Instagram
