Rapper and social commentator Cardi B showed her support for former NBA player Dwyane Wade’s daughter Zaya in a pair of Instagram Live videos on Saturday.
The three-time NBA champ recently revealed that his 12-year-old came out to him and his wife, Gabrielle Union, as trans, as Blavity previously reported. She's asked to be referred to as Zaya with she/her pronouns.
Although many people are praising Wade and his family for their bravery in a challenging moment, there are those who don't agree with how the Wades are supporting their children's choices. As Blavity previously reported, rapper Boosie Badazz was very much opposed to the news of Zaya coming out and insisted Wade not let Zaya cut their genitalia off despite an absence of discussion about any sex-change operations.
Cardi followed up with videos of her own to educate her peers about identity and agency for the youth.
“People are saying that this kid is too young to transition, but it’s like, ‘How old is too young?’” she asked on Instagram Live. “If you’re born thinking you’re a girl in a boy’s body, how old do you have to be to keep knowing that that’s who you are? That’s who you are, that’s your identity.”
.@iamcardib shares her support for Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union’s transgender child Zaya. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/fkOyKCJ1wy
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 22, 2020
In the second part of her video, the "Money" rapper addresses those who feel Wade and his family should have kept Zaya’s identity private.
“If you’re born like that, then you’re going to forever be like that,” Cardi added. “What’s the point of you being older and then transitioning and being like, 'damn, I should have been through this.'”
“Let people find their happiness, especially kids, let them feel comfortable,” she continued.
She then went on to say hiding your identity isn't helping anyone.
“When you hold a secret, it just feels like such a burden, you might as well free and let it out. And while you free and letting it out and telling your truth, why not educate? Why not educate?” she asked. “I don’t know. That’s how I feel.”
“People are born like that, like that Lady Gaga song, I was born this way — that s**t is f**king real,” she went on.
Boosie isn't the only rapper who came under fire for his response to Zaya's gender identity. 50 Cent has also received backlash after using his Instagram account to share a photo of Wade and R. Kelly, who currently faces sexual abuse charges of minors in multiple states.
In the photo, speech bubbles appear above their heads showing an imaginary conversation between the two.
“Heard you had a daughter now,” Kelly’s bubble reads. “U touch her, I’ll kill ya,” Wade’s bubble answers.
Neither Wade or Union has responded to any disparaging posts. The two have been supportive of Zaya since the 12-year-old disclosed her identity. Union posted a video where Zaya discussed the importance of her living in her truth while hanging out with her dad.
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. pic.twitter.com/G2lLVdD2VT
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) February 11, 2020
Wade sat down with People for an interview where he said he raises his children like other parents raise theirs — to put them in the best situation to succeed. He said the methods may be different, but he wants Zaya to feel his unconditional love and support as a parent.
“As I’m raising [Zaya], as I’m raising my kids, you just try to put them in the best situations to be able to succeed in life,” he says. “How I do that, and how me and my wife decide to do that, may be different than another family, but we want them to know there’s always unconditional love, that it will always be support.”
He finished the statement by saying probably the sweetest thing ever: “we see you how you see you.”
