Dwyane Wade Responds To People Bullying His Gay Son On Instagram

It was early on that Dwyane Wade and wife Gabrielle Union noticed his son Zion wasn’t like his brother Zaire. Today, Zion is 12 years old and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. At times, like many other members of the community, Zion has to endure some negative comments online.

The former NBA star has taken it all in stride, commenting that even though he has responded to these online bullies, it isn’t because he or his son are offended or that they even care about what’s being said. Wade acknowledged in an interview this week that he has a platform, and with that, a responsibility to speak out about it.

"I'm responding because I'm speaking for a lot of people who don't have the same voice that I have as a father,” Wade said on the “All the Smoke” podcast, as reported by Entertainment Tonight. “I'm even speaking for my 12-year-old right now because I haven't allowed him to sit in front of a microphone yet.”

Wade was apparently referencing a particular moment on Thanksgiving when Instagram and Twitter users noticed his son’s crop top and painted nails, which began a series of apparent homophobic responses.

Wade responded on the latter platform, only mentioning that he’s a father and this is how he supports his son and family with “pride, love, and a smile.”

During the “All the Smoke” podcast, Wade gave a speech about acceptance, notably stating: "Everybody get used to it, man. This is the new normal,” Wade proclaimed and then continued. “The ones that don’t understand it, the ones that don’t get it, the ones that have stuck in a box, you're different. Not the people out here living their lives, man."

At home, Wade said he talks about giving his and Union's kids the power to have a voice. “We want them to be whoever they feel that they can be in this world," he explained.

Wade's comments come after he was spotted at the Miami pride parade event earlier this year, in full support of Zion.