Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union honor their children’s personalities and support their identities. However, there are other celebrities who take issue with Dwayne and Gabrielle’s support of their children, particularly their support of their trans daughter Zaya. After it become public knowledge that Zaya, 13, was transitioning, people such as Boosie and Young Thug have been transphobic a-holes about Zaya.
Boosie Badazz and Young Thug’s comments prompted many celebrities to come out in support of Zaya, like Shea Diamond and Cardi B. Mike Tyson also defended Zaya. This summer Mike had Boosie on his podcast, Hotboxin with Mike Tyson. Tyson called out Boosie for comments about Zaya. Boosie tried to defend himself but Mike shut him down. Dwyane recently did an interview with Central Ave. Here’s what Dwyane had to say about his conversation with Mike thanking him for his support and the people who feel it is ok to attack Zaya:
“I actually talked to Mike about that early in the pandemic,” the former pro basketball player said. “We had a conversation. I appreciated from a standpoint of, you know, Mike is someone who has never tried to be perfect. He is someone who has learned from this journey of life.”
“He’s so smart. He is so educated and knowledgeable about life,” Wade, 38, continued. “For him to be able to drop that nugget on the world, to me, it was great to hear him say that.”
Tyson called out Boosie during an episode of his Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson podcast for making transphobic comments regarding Zaya earlier this summer. “I really commented on the Dwyane Wade situation because I got offended because it’s a child,” Boosie tried to explain. “That’s really why I got offended.”
Boosie continued and attempted to defend himself, with Tyson eventually asking him, “What happened to you that you think that you’re somebody that can comment on somebody’s life?”
“I’ve never came out and said anything to anybody that feels a certain way about me or someone else in my family and my loved ones,” he said. “They don’t know us. They don’t know our heart. They definitely don’t know Zaya. So, all I do is what my mama say, ‘Just pray for them.’ ”
Keeping it one hundred, I have no idea who the hell Boosie B is and I am happy for it. These rappers who operate from a place of misogyny and transphobia need to take several seats. It warms my cold black heart that Mike Tyson, MIKE TYSON, of all people came out in support of Zaya, Dwyane, and Gabrielle. That to me is a big deal. It would seem that Mike has grown a lot from his mistakes in life.
In my opinion, folks need to learn to mind their own business especially when it concerns a child. I admire Gabrielle and Dwyane for how they are embracing their children and giving them space to figure out life their way. This to me is the best sort of parenting. Dwyane could have easily shamed and bullied Zaya when she came out. Instead, being the amazing father that he is and after d much contemplation, Dwyane embraced and celebrated Zaya. Dwyane and Gabrielle went as far as reaching out to the trans-community for guidance. Dwyane has the right idea in praying for those who are transphobic and say horrible things about Zaya. However, I also agree with Mike Tyson, call them out. Leave no room for that sort of behavior.
I still have no idea who Boosie B is. Nor, at this point, do I care to know. I’ve very proud of Mike Tyson. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I think Dwayne Wade is an amazing father.
I just will never understand why some people think they have the last word on how others should live their lives.
Mind your own business. Not every thought in your head needs to be said out loud.
Keep your own house clean and be kind. How tough is that? Live and let live.
Parents have so much to deal with these days, it gets tougher every decade.
Part of trying to be a good parent is helping your kids figure out how/who they truly are, it’s interesting to me how often some parents still “inside the box” their kids.
My 2020 bingo card has just gone up in flames, I did not have Mike Tyson down for this and I am incredibly happy to be wrong. Call people out on their bigoted views. I love when this family gets coverage as I hope it helps other families and children feel seen and know that they are not alone.
I’m also loving the slightly random pics with the little goat. Delightful.
I applaud Dwyane(BTW his name is misspelled in headline) and Gabrielle for loving and supporting Zaya unconditionally.I had a friend who worked at a Covenant House and he said about 1/2 the homeless youth at his facility were LGBTQ+ and about a 1/3 of the LGBTQ+ clients were trans.These are young people who were either kicked out of their homes(throwaways) or runaways.
It’s better than it was years ago but many trans teens are still rejected/disowned by their family.Zaya is very fortunate to have an accepting family.
Children just need to know that they are loved. That’s it. It’s that simple.
There was video footage of that interview. That moron sat there thinking he has a ally on this subject in Mike. When Mike called him on it, to say he looked taken aback would be a understatement. Mike blew his top off and the moron looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there.
Just because they your skinfolk, doesn’t mean they your kinfolk.
Love your comment , especially your last sentence .Sooo true !!Skin and kin are not the same .It is good to remind people that all black people don’t think alike .As a black person and a woman, I often have to repeat that I agree with /appreciate people because of what they think/do and not because they look like me .If it was the case , I would only speak to short ,dark skinned ,french women of african descent ,wearing glasses and leaving in a small city in Normandy !!! ;p
I’d never heard of nor do I care about Boosie. These hateful, misogynistic, Trump loving rappers need to sit down and STFU. And 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 To Mike Tyson for shutting that toxic shit down and setting that clown straight. Dwayne and Gabrielle are doing their best as parents and I applaud them. Raising children is hard enough work without other people sticking their noses into your business. Like Dwayne said, pray for them. Unfortunately it won’t help too many of them.
So basically , this Boosie “whatever” was so concerned about Zaya well-being …that he attacked her ??!! I guess , he is the kind of guy who is not “offended” by those so called “conversion therapies “…
Mike Tyson did a great job shutting that down. I’ve got a trans son. When he came out and transitioned I was honestly shocked by how supportive family, friends, and even our Catholic parish were. I didn’t expect it. But I see the hate trans people get on social media and from “comedians” who think it’s ok to laugh at them. It makes me scared for my son’s safety. When celebrities normalize, represent, and support trans identity it makes the world a little safer for kids like my son.
So true @Aang And what Mike Tyson did by addressing and calling transphobia out directly, that has ripple effects especially through the Black male alpha-wannabe music community. Dwayne and Gabrielle embracing Zaya, being vocal and visible in their love and support, this has a tremendous cultural effect on how people view and engage with trans conversations and most especially with the trans community. It has been so heartening to witness.
Boosie is trash, he is the guy who got his 14 year old son a prostitute to take his virginity (aka assault him) and then bragged about on IG. Be glad you don’t know him. But I also got to ask whether discussing Zayas journey was a good idea. Life is tough enough being the kid of a super star now add on to that gender dysphoria and the entire planet weighing in? Just sounds like that press announcement could have waited for adulthood.
It vaguely worries me from a safety perspective considering the horrific abuse and violence rates black transgender women are subject to among LGBT+ demographics, but she does have access to resources a lot of them do not have. I hope she remains safe and well-supported in her life.
I agree that I wonder about releasing that information publicly at her age, but I also get why they may have done it if she’s transitioning. The teen years when trans individuals start encountering real medical choices regarding their development and transition can be pretty rough. Since the family is public, they would have had to hear themselves being misgendered repeatedly in media any time the family came up in conversation or public interest. That may have been why they chose to illuminate the issue so the media correction can start now and the kid doesn’t have to hear themselves being improperly denoted as male by sources in the news, which would be upsetting and possibly psychologically harmful.
Veronica thank you for that considerate and thoughtful response. It was very helpful.
If in 2020 a girl has to cut off breasts, decide here and now that she never wants to have children, and is willing to have osteoporosis at the ripe old age of 25 just for the sake it being acceptable to wear trousers, have blue hair, and not perform pink feminity, then it really is a doomed timeline.