Dwyane Wade Is Still the Best Dad a Queer Kid Can Have

NBA great Dwyane Wade and his daughter Zaya were celebrating this weekend by posting pics on social media of their matching bright red dyed hair. It was yet another way the Hall of Fame parent is supporting and empowering his teenaged child.

"For me it's all about, nothing changes with my love," said in a podcast interview last year with Showtime's All the Smoke. Nothing changes with my responsibilities. Only thing I have to do now is get smarter and educate myself more, and that's my job."

In another Instagram post, Wade wrote "When they think they know you - Switch it up! #Free #RedHairDontCare"

Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union made headlines with their outspoken support of Zaya, especially in response to bigoted and hateful comments that appeared on social media.

"This is the new normal, everybody needs to get used to it," Wade said, referring to the increase in visibility of not only queer people but queer issues in culture. "If anybody is different, we're looked at as different; the ones who don't understand it. The ones that don't get it and are stuck in a box, you're different. Not the people that are out there living their lives."

Even though Wade has admitted to engaging in locker room talk in the past, he is intent upon educating himself and others going forward. He and his wife envision a possible advocacy role for Zaya in the future, but for now the two are focused on protecting their daughter while helping her find her voice.

"I looked at her and said you are a leader," Wade recalled of a conversation with Zaya in a recent interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "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."

While the new look may seem out of character for Wade, at least one former NBA player was impressed.

"Nice. Hair. Brother." Dennis Rodman replied.

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