‘NBA’ star Dwayne Wade is asking a court to officially change the name and gender of his transgender daughter, Zaya.
According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, Wade is asking a Los Angeles County Court judge to make the transition official, and change his child’s name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.
As we’ve reported, Wade’s 15-year-old daughter is opening transgender — and the basketball star has addressed the situation publically on several occasions. It should be noted, that because Zaya is under 18 years old, her father is the one who has to officially ask the court for the change.
Dwayne Wade Petition’s Court To Change Gender Of 15-Year-Old Daughter
Interestingly, Dwayne addresses the mother of his daughter — Siohvaughn Funches — saying he has full authority to make this decision. “Pursuant to the terms of the Final Custody Judgment, (Wade) has full authority to make decisions on behalf of the petitioning minor, and he is not required to receive consent from Ms. Funches-Wade. As a courtesy, Ms. Funches-Wade has received notice of this petition,” the document reads.
In the filing, Wade asks that the court legally issues a decree recognizing that the minors’ gender is changed to “female.”
Also, it specifically cites the reason for the change as “to conform with gender identity.”
At this point, the case will be reviewed by a judge and most likely officially issued as a change.
NBA Star Addresses Situation With Transgender Daughter
As you know, Wade confirmed and addressed his daughter’s desire to change on ‘The Ellen Show’ — saying Zaya had begun using she/her pronouns. “Our (then)-12-year-old … came home and said, `Hey, I want to talk to you guys,”‘ then asked to be called, Zaya,” he said. Adding, “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.”
Following the conversation, Wade admitted it is hard considering lawmakers across the country continue to restrict the rights of transgender youth. “To me, it’s a joke. This is our life. We live this,” Wade told TIME Magazine. Adding, “When you’re out there making rules, if you’re not experiencing this, come and live a day with my daughter. Come and see how it is to walk through this world as her.”
“As blessed as it is for my daughter to have parents who can support her, I’m still afraid every moment she leaves the house. And not just because of gun violence, but because of the way people perceive her in this world,” he said.
The multi-millionaire athlete admitted he is stunned by his daughter’s confidence in this area, saying, “I went years without telling my chef that I don’t like cilantro on my burger — as an adult, it took me years to have the confidence to say that…My daughter, at 8 years old, had the confidence to say, ‘This is who I am. This is who I want to be.'”
The petition is now pending with the court.
