Basketball star Dwayne Wade has a son, Zion, who is 12 years old and has come out as gay a few months back. Him and his wife, Gabrielle Union, have been openly supportive of their son by attending pride parades for example. Dwayne Wade made a statement to Variety Magazine saying, “I think as a family we should support each other. That’s our job. And my job as a father is to facilitate their lives and to support them and be behind them in whatever they want to do.”
A few days ago, the family took a photo and posted it to social media. The photo shows Zion wearing a cropped shirt and long, painted nails. Many people online started to criticize Zion for his feminine appearance because he is a boy. They also started to criticize his parents’ parenting because they “allow” him to have this appearance. According to Allure, some of the comments include, “why does his son have his nails done and dressed like a girl?” and “I’ve lost all respect for D Wade.”
The comments that were made about Zion are a form of cyberbullying and prejudice. Cyberbullying occurs when someone is bullying or harassing somebody using some type of electronic platform. People are saying harsh things about him on social media since he’s very open about his sexuality and because he chooses to dress more feminine. Prejudice is shown when people have unfavorable opinions about a person or a group of people. In this case, people are sharing their negative feelings about people who are gay. Since Zion is 12 years old, they believe he shouldn’t have this sexuality at a young age and should be dressing like a “normal boy.” Although these comments are harsh, Zion and his family remain unbothered and happy.
Boren, Cindy. “Dwyane Wade Shuts down Internet ‘Stupidity’ over Son’s Look in Family Photo.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Dec. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/02/dwyane-wade-shuts-down-internet-stupidity-over-sons-look-family-photo/.
Haller, Sonja. “Dwyane Wade Details Supporting Son at Miami Pride, Tells Parents: ‘Get to Know Your Kids’.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 18 June 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/06/18/dwyane-wade-opens-up-supporting-son-zion-miami-gay-pride-parade/1487457001/.
Robin, Marci. “Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s 12-Year-Old Son Wore Fake Nails, and Some Idiots Got Upset About It.” Allure, Allure, 2 Dec. 2019, www.allure.com/story/dwyane-wade-gabrielle-union-zion-son-nails-thanksgiving-photo.
Kiara B.