Retired NBA star Dwyane Wade announced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that his 12-year-old son Zion identifies as transgender and now goes by Zaya.

“Me and my wife are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re proud allies as well. We take our roles and responsibility as parents very seriously,” Wade told DeGeneres.

“Zion, born as a boy, came home and said, ‘Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, I am ready to live my truth. I want to be referenced as ‘she’ and ‘her.’ I would love for you guys to call me Zaya,’” said Wade.

After Zaya came out, Wade looked at her and said, “You are a leader, and it’s our opportunity to allow you to be a voice. Right now, it’s through us because she’s 12 years old, but eventually, it will be through her.”

“Now it’s our job to one, go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship that we have,” said Wade. “We’re just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give out child the best opportunity to be her best self.”

“When our child comes home with a question, when our child comes home with an issue, when out child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can. And that doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it,” he added.

DeGeneres praised Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union for being so loving and supportive, and explained there are many parents who “freak out” over the news.

Mother Gabrielle introduced Zaya with a short clip and caption. “Meet Zaya. She’s compassionate, loving, whip-smart, and we are so proud of her. It’s ok to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light, good people,” she tweeted.

In the video, Zaya says, “What’s the point of being on this Earth if you’re going to try to be someone you’re not? It’s like your not even living like yourself, which is, like, the dumbest concept to me.”

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