NBA legend Dwyane Wade has filed to legally change his trans daughter Zaya’s name and gender, reports Page Six.
Wade petitioned the Los Angeles Superior Court for his daughter's name to be changed from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade, according to court documents. She will now be identified as female in all legal documents moving forward.
The three-time NBA champion notified the court that he has “full authority” to file the petition without the consent of Siohvaughn Funches, Zaya’s mother, but the documents state that “as a courtesy,” his ex-wife “received notice.”
Wade along with his wife Gabrielle Union have been outspoken supporters of Zaya’s gender identity. “First of all, me and my wife, Gabrielle Union, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re proud allies as well,” Wade stated on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “We take our roles and our responsibilities as parents very seriously.”
Appearing on Good Morning America, he openly shared his daughter’s journey noting that Zaya has known that she was transgender nine years before she officially went public.
“She’s known since she was 3 years old,” he told GMA anchor Robin Roberts back in February 2020. “Along this way, we’ve asked questions and we’ve learned. But she’s known.”
