Gabrielle Union finds it "a little odd" to get "recognition" for being supportive of her step-daughter Zaya’s transition.
The 47-year-old actress and her husband Dwyane Wade received praise earlier this year for being accepting when Dwyane’s 12-year-old daughter Zaya – who was born a boy named Zion – revealed she is transgender.
And Gabrielle has now said she finds it strange that she is being applauded for simply "loving and accepting" her family.
Speaking during an appearance on ‘The Ellen Degeneres Show’, she said: "To us, it’s a little odd to get any kind of recognition for doing what you’re supposed to do, which is love and accept and embrace your kids.
"Unfortunately, there are so many people who just don’t. There are so many people who really truly feel like their kids are disposable and if they’re not perfect images of them, they’re not interested. It’s heartbreaking."
The ‘Being Mary Jane’ star – who is also stepmother to Dwyane’s kids Zaire, 18, and Xavier, six, and has 17-month-old Kaavia with him – introduced Zaya to the world in a social media post in February, when she said she was "so proud" of her.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: "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. (sic)"
And in a second post, Gabrielle said: "Huge huge huge THANK YOU to everyone whose dms I slid into, friends, & family who provided information, resources, love & encouragement. We are humble LGBTQ+ allies with ALOT to learn & grateful for all the support. We encourage yall to check us as needed Again, thank you! (sic)"
Meanwhile, Dwyane previously revealed he hopes his daughter’s decision to come out as transgender will help other families.
The NBA superstar said: "I struggled on how much I wanted to talk about it in the doc. I actually didn’t talk about it a lot, but I knew if I put it in the doc at all, it would be a big conversation …
"We struggled with what people would say about a 12 year old making a decision about her life. But we also know our child. We’ve been through so many different things that other people and other families go through and they thank us for speaking out on it. That’s what we’re trying to do. We know there are other families out there dealing with their kid finding themselves and learning who they are."
Gabrielle Union: It’s odd to be praised for supporting Zaya’s transition
