Dwyane Wade will always have a love for Miami Heat fans, but his love for the state of Florida is not what it used to be.
In an interview with Rachel Nicols on Thursday's (April 17) episode of "Headliners," the retired Miami Heat legend revealed that he no longer lives in Florida because of anti-LGBTQ+ policies in the state.
“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade replied when asked about Florida legislators who have proposed restrictive laws targeting LGBTQ+ people. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions. Obviously, the taxes [situation] is great. Having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. And so that’s one of the reasons why I don’t live there.”
Wade is the father of 15-year-old Zaya, who came out as transgender in 2020. He is also father to Zaire, 21, Xavier, 8½, and Kaavia, 4, who he shares with his wife Gabrielle Union.
Florida recently passed legislation that bans people from using a bathroom other than their sex assigned at birth. Additionally, the state passed a law that bans classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades.
Wade sold his Miami residence in 2021 and now lives in Los Angeles County with his family.
Elsewhere in the interview, Wade discussed his style of parenting, explaining that everything he learned about being a father, he learned from his dad.
"I tell my dad all the time, I'm just a mirror image of the way he loved us and the way that he accepted not only myself and my brothers but other kids in the community that didn't have father figures," the basketball star shared. "And so I don't know any difference."
He added, "And so yes, I had to educate myself and yes, I had to get a better understanding. And yes, I had to lose some friends along the process, but I never wavered on loving my kids and trying to find space to get the chance to understand them."
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