Gabrielle Union Draws Line in the Sand Over Stepdaughter Zaya

Gabrielle Union is standing her floor, and he or she isn’t holding again. The actress and activist is as soon as once more making headlines for fiercely defending her assist of Zaya Wade, her transgender stepdaughter.

Union, who has by no means shied away from talking out, is shutting down critics who query her parenting selections.

In a daring and emotional response, she made it clear that her love for Zaya isn’t up for debate, it doesn’t matter what anybody says.

Since Zaya got here out as transgender in 2020, Union and her husband, Dwyane Wade, have been vocal advocates for her journey.

In her cowl story for Marie Claire’s Motherhood Concern, the mother of 1 reaffirmed her assist for the 17-year-old, which she believed stemmed from unconditional love.

“Individuals speak about my parenting choices. Loving my child unapologetically out loud? Not placing somebody out? The bar is on the rattling flooring,” Gabrielle Union mentioned.

The 52-year-old revealed that her strategy to parenting was listening and studying. She believed in leaning into love and searching for information from specialists and people with lived experiences.

“There’s not a handbook. I leaned into love after which requested questions—whether or not that be medical doctors, little one psychologists, individuals who have lived expertise—I am leaning into that,” she mentioned.

Some have questioned their parenting choices, whereas others have expressed discomfort with their openness about Zaya’s identification.

However, the “Suppose Like A Man” star stays unfazed. Throughout the interview, Union defined that she noticed her and her husband’s actions not as extraordinary however as the naked minimal any dad or mum ought to supply.

“Nothing we’ve got completed as dad and mom feels revolutionary or groundbreaking. It simply seems like widespread sense, kindness, compassionate. All the issues that you simply want your dad and mom confirmed you when there’s some side of your life or your persona that will not match down the center of the highway,” the doting mother shared.

Union additionally famous that being transgender is who Zaya was born to be, and it’s her job as a mother to maintain her protected, protected, cherished, and educated.

This isn’t the first time the Oscar award winner has shared her ideas on parenting a toddler in the LGBTQ+ group.

In 2022, Union dished out recommendation to folks struggling to simply accept their LGBTQ+ youngsters.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, she mentioned, “As our youngsters present up, it’s our job to consider them after they inform us who they’re and never impose our desires, hopes, fears, and wishes on them.”

Union shared that oldsters must be loving, compassionate, and protecting guides for his or her youngsters, including that they have to be taught to respect their youngsters’s selections.

“We don’t consider in any sort of shaming for present. That’s weird, merciless, and dangerous. It is essential for us to stay and love out loud. We did not precisely perceive why [supporting Zaya’s trans identity] was a factor as a result of it is like, we love all our youngsters out loud,” she added.

Gabrielle Union isn’t only a good mother but additionally a supportive spouse. In 2023, the Hollywood star’s husband was recognized with kidney most cancers, and he or she has been by his aspect since then.

In an interview on “Today,” the former NBA star shared particulars about his most cancers prognosis.

Dwyane revealed he visited the physician for a routine examine following his dad’s prostate most cancers prognosis.

Though he skilled abdomen aches and adjustments in urination, the 43-year-old didn’t assume something severe about the state of affairs.

Nonetheless, after two MRI scans, the medical doctors confirmed a suspicious mass on his kidney.