Dwyane Wade responds to criticism of supporting his son's appearance at Miami Pride
Longtime Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade did not hesitate to show support for his son, Zion, who appeared at a LGBTQ pride parade in Miami in April.
Zion, who turned 12 years old in May, attended Miami Beach Pride with his siblings and stepmother, actress Gabrielle Union. Wade could not be there as he played out the end of his final season in the NBA, but did support Zion on social media, posting a photo with the caption, “We support each other with Pride!” In another message that included a rainbow emoji, Wade said he wished he could have been there with Zion to see him smile.
In an interview with Variety, Wade explained why he felt it was important to show support for Zion, and do so publicly. Wade said he wants to be supportive of Zion and his interests the same way he helps his son Zaire, a budding basketball star, on the court.
“I don’t really talk about it much because it’s Zion’s story to tell. 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. My role is to support my kids and love my kids,” Wade said.
Wade surprised his support caused controversy
Wade told Variety that he was quite surprised that his support of Zion generated some backlash and controversy.
Dwyane Wade was surprised that his love for his son resulted in some backlash on social media https://t.co/yk4kuCE3nA pic.twitter.com/KAWEmQjEGZ
— Variety (@Variety) June 18, 2019
“I’m very uneasy about accolades that come from supporting my kids or the negativity that comes with it. I’m doing what every parent should do. Once you bring kids into this world, you have to become unselfish. You’re not important anymore. Your kids become the most important thing. Your family becomes the most important thing,” Wade said.
Growing up in inner-city Chicago, Wade said that level of support wasn’t always there for children. He wants things to be different for his kids.
“I’m doing what I feel is right for my family and that’s to support my kids the same way if it’s a sport, or if they come home with great grades. It’s to big them up and let them know they can do anything in this world. I’m from the inner-city of Chicago and I wasn’t told that,” Wade said.
“I wasn’t told I could be anybody and do anything, and I wasn’t always shown that. It’s my job to be their role model, to be the voice in my kids’ lives to let them know that you can conquer the world and you have the support of your father and the support of your family every step of the way, so go and be your amazing self and we’re going to sit back and support you all the way.”
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