In standing by his transgender daughter, Dwyane Wade is more of a leader than DeSantis | Opinion

Florida has become the kind of repressive, punishing place where someone like Dwyane Wade no longer thinks his family will be comfortable.

That’s shocking. It’s terrible. And sad, especially for us in Miami. The former Miami Heat champion and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, have done so much for our community. Miami-Dade County has been called “Wade County” for a reason. Wade is something of a hero around here, not just because of his extraordinary talent and drive, but also because of his full-on embrace of the community. It’s not an exaggeration to say he is beloved.

So his breathtaking comment this week that he and his family no longer live in the state, in part because they “would not be accepted or feel comfortable there,” hits hard. Wade has a 15-year-old transgender daughter, Zaya. Wade and Union, her stepmother, have been publicly supportive of Zaya and the transgender community. They sold their Miami house and now live in Los Angeles.

During an interview with journalist Rachel Nichols on Headliners, from a clip that was shared with People, Wade responded to a question about Florida politicians pushing for legislation that could harm the LGBTQ+ community:

“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state. A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.”

“I mean, obviously, the tax [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.”

The idea that Wade and his family — with fame and money and every advantage — don’t feel safe in Florida, or here in Miami, is a red flag with a blaring siren attached. It’s a warning about the path we’re on.

And it’s a reminder of all the other people in our state without that level of celebrity who must also feel targeted. Florida has passed a flurry of laws and rules aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, everything from banning classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades — the “Don’t say gay” law — to preventing children from watching “lewd” drag shows, something that likely has not been a problem, but an issue that reliably riles up the right-wing base. The rhetoric has been increasingly alarming, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Florida embraces ever-growing fights against “woke.”

This is the state that DeSantis and his lockstep lawmakers in Tallahassee have created, with its dark vision of intolerance, fear and anger; it’s a place where lawmakers feel free to target vulnerable groups. It’s a cover for cracking down on anything they don’t like, and they’re not alone. GOP lawmakers across the country are introducing other bills that go after civil liberties for transgender people.

Wade, who retired from the NBA in 2019 after a career that included three championships with the Miami Heat, knows what it takes to be a leader, and not only in the sports world. With his remarks, he’s standing up for a better world, a place where bullies don’t win.

Now Miami’s GOAT doesn’t feel comfortable in Florida. We don’t blame him, though we are sick at heart to hear it. No doubt there are many others who feel the same, though they may not be able to say so publicly. Wade has the platform to speak out and is doing so. His courage is inspiring.

And there is something the rest of us can do, too. We can reject the vision of Florida being peddled by DeSantis and the GOP in Tallahassee. We can call it out, at the ballot box and at city halls and in school board meetings and in Tallahassee. We can say, out loud, that we are not OK with targeting transgender people.

Wade may not be in Florida anymore, but his leadership hasn’t stopped.