Dwyane Wade has been vocal about his family's experience raising his transgender child, Zaya, a biological male. During an appearance on Good Morning America, he revealed that his child has known she was transgender since the age of 3. The former Miami Heat basketball player and his wife, Gabrielle Union, have been openly supporting Zaya, and while most people have been praising them for being good parents and allies to the LGBTQ community, there are other celebrities who have spoken out negatively about their decision to make their experience with Zaya transitioning so public and for openly supporting their child's journey.
It is not easy for a child to go through this, and parents should be prepared to support their kids. Did you know that according to a study done by the National Center for Transgender Equality, out of 6,400 transgender people interviewed in the United States, 45% revealed that at one point they had thoughts of suicide?
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There are a lot of challenges that transgender children have to face, from the fear and confusion that comes with realizing their bodies belong to a gender that isn't in line with who they are to the fear that they will face disapproval from or be rejected by their loved ones and society. If your child has given you clear signs of nonconformity with their gender, support them! Your understanding, acceptance, and unconditional love will make a huge difference in their lives. As parents, we have to put ourselves in our children's shoes. The love that mothers and fathers have for their children should take away any judgment, because so much of children's self-esteem depends on the respect and acceptance that parents show for who they really are.