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As lawmakers target transgender rights, retired NBA Star Dwyane Wade shares his growing concern for his daughter Zaya.
At Tuesday's (June 7) Time Magazine summit, Wade opened up about his fears for Zaya, who came out as transgender in 2020.
"To me, it’s a joke. This is our life. We live this," Wade said amid the push to limit gender-affirming medical care for trans children. "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."
Wade added that Americans are losing their "human side," as lawmakers set their sights on restricting LGBTQ+ rights, including banning transgender youth from student athletics.
"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," Wade said. "And not just because of gun violence, but because of the way people perceive her in this world."
Despite the setbacks the trans community faces, Wade shared how proud he is of Zaya for opening up about her identity.
"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," said Wade "My daughter, at 8 years old, had the confidence to say, 'This is who I am. This is who I want to be,'" Wade said.
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