Dwyane Wade's daughter Zaya Wade granted legal-name change, gender change in court
A Los Angeles judge approved Zaya Wade's petition to legally change her name and gender.
Dwyane Wade said in February 2020 that he supported Zaya's decision to change her pronouns.
Zaya's mother, Siohvaughn Funches, tried to block Zaya's name-and-gender change in November 2022.
Dwyane Wade's 15-year-old daughter has legally changed her name and gender, according to court documents obtained by Insider.
A Los Angeles County judge granted the change on Friday. Her legal name is now Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade. The former NBA superstar filed the petition on his daughter's behalf in August 2022, more than two years after Zaya came out as transgender. The judge also ruled that Zaya is legally recognized as a female, which future official documents will reflect to match her gender identity.
Representatives for Wade did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Dwyane Wade confirmed in February 2020 that Zaya's pronouns are "she/her"
Wade has publicly supported Zaya on several occasions, including attending the Miami Beach Pride parade with her in June 2019 and later blasting people who criticized Zaya for wearing a crop top that December. In February 2020, Dwyane confirmed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that Zaya had changed her name and pronouns.
"Me and my wife — my wife Gabrielle Union — we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ community, and we're proud allies as well. We take our roles and our responsibilities as parents very seriously," Wade told DeGeneres.
He added: "When a child comes home with a question, when a child comes home with an issue, when a child comes home with anything, it's our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can. And that doesn't change because sexuality's now involved in it."
Wade told DeGeneres that he and Union began educating themselves about the LGBTQ community after Zaya came out. He's previously said he was ignorant of the LGBTQ community, but having a transgender daughter inspired him to reflect.
"Internally, that was our job to go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship that we have. My wife reached out to everybody on the cast of 'Pose,'" Wade said. "We're just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self."
Dwyane Wade's ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, objected to Zaya's name and gender change in November 2022
Zaya's mother, Siohvaughn Funches, filed a petition in November 2020 objecting to Zaya's name and gender change, according to Today. Funches and Wade were married from 2002 to 2010.
The outlet reported that Funches requested Zaya wait until "the age of majority" to make permanent changes to her identity.
Soon after, Wade responded to Funches' petition and called her an "absent parent."
"While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn's attempt to fight Zaya's identity and her unwavering attempt to drag my name through the mud, I'm very disappointed that she continuously find ways of centering herself and HER needs, without regard to her children," Wade wrote in an Instagram post that same month.
Read the original article on Insider
