Dwyane Wade beautifully capped off 2020 by reaffirming his “unconditional love” for his 13-year-old trans daughter, Zaya.
The retired NBA star and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, have been setting the bar for parenting this year as they continue to celebrate Zaya through her transition.
In sharing their personal journey as LGBT+ allies they’ve set a powerful example for others to follow, delivering important lessons in love and compassion along the way.
True to form, the number one Dad gave us the wholesome Christmas content we needed this week when he took to Instagram to declare his devotion to his daughter.
“Unconditional love, simply put, is love without strings attached,” Wade wrote.
“It’s love you offer freely. You don’t base it on what someone does for you in return. You simply love them and want nothing more than their happiness. This type of love [is] sometimes called compassionate or agape love.”
His post included a pair of recent photos of Zaya, who looks like she’s glowing with happiness – and with parents like hers, we can see why.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union regularly put their love for Zaya front and centre, and they proudly walked the red carpet with her at the 2020 Truth Awards in Los Angeles just weeks after she came out as trans.
In September the power couple dedicated their spot in TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 to their “wildly inspiring” daughter.
“We’re inspired by our kids – the way they look at us, the way they look to us for leadership and guidance, for their moments of bravery,” Wade said in a video accompanying their nomination.
“[Zaya] has freedom to be exactly who she is, who she was born to be, to be her most authentic self,” Union added. “She doesn’t ask permission to exist. That is wildly inspiring.”