In the year 2020, American Zaya Wade publicly revealed herself as a transgender woman. Since then, she has carved out a reputation for herself in the transgender community.
Who Exactly is Zaya Wade?
Zaya Wade is the eldest offspring of former NBA star Dwyane Wade. Her stepmother is Gabrielle Union, who is an actress. Zaya disclosed her transgender identity to her parents at the age of 12, something her father believes she had known since she was three.
In February 2020, Zaya and her family decided to make her gender identity public so that she could live as her true self.
The following month, Union and Dwayne accompanied Zaya for a red carpet appearance. Since then, she has gained recognition as a prominent young member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Zaya Wade in the Early Years
Zaya Wade was born on May 29, 2007. She is the second child of Siohvaughn Funches and former Miami Heat basketball player Dwyane Wade.
After Dwyane and Funches divorced, he was awarded full custody of Zaya and her older brother, Zaire Blessing Dwyane.
Actress Gabrielle Union, who married Dwyane in 2014, is Zaya’s stepmother. Kaavia James, Zaya’s younger sister, was born through surrogacy in 2018 for Union and Dwyane.
Xavier Zechariah, Zaya’s younger brother, was fathered by Dwyane from a previous relationship. Additionally, Zaya’s cousin Dahveon Morris is under the father’s care.
Due to Zaya, Dwyane and Union were motivated to educate themselves about the transgender community, which included conversations with the actors from Pose.
“We made every effort to gather as much information as possible to ensure that we provide our child with the best opportunities to be her true self.”
Mental Well-being & Embracing Identity
Zaya Wade, 14, fully realizes the significance of mental well-being in her life. Despite being the stepdaughter of actress Gabrielle Union and the daughter of retired NBA player Dwyane Wade and Siohvaughn Funches, she lives discreetly under the guardianship of her well-known parents.
Celebrity status may bring torment and make the life of a teenage Black girl more complex, but Zaya manages it with a confident sense of self and firm boundaries. Zaya came out as transgender in 2020, with the support of her family and the encouragement of young LGBTQ+ individuals around the world.
Her decision to come out as her true self has inspired others to do the same. While continuing to be a positive role model for herself, she inspires and motivates younger generations.
In December 2019, Dwyane used her preferred pronouns for the first time when referring to Zaya.
On February 11, 2020, he stated that “Zaya was a female and used the pronouns she/her when appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “
Following Dwyane’s appearance on Ellen, Union posted a video to Twitter with the opening, “Zaya, please. She is compassionate, caring, and incredibly intelligent, and we are so proud of her.” “Be true to yourself – what’s the point of being on this Earth if you’re going to try and be someone you’re not?” Zaya advised in the footage.
Every morning and every night, I look in the mirror and affirm to myself, ‘I’m beautiful, I’m valuable, and this day is going to be great.’ And at night I say, ‘I’m still beautiful and still valuable. And tomorrow is going to be great.’ And I have to affirm this to myself every day. I believe it really helps me get through each day and start off another day on a positive note.
Zaya Is a Trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ Community
In 2019, Zaya attended Miami Pride with Union. She participated in the Truth Awards in Los Angeles in March 2020 to acknowledge achievements in the Black LGBTQ+ community.
The 12-year-old donned matching tailored suits alongside the three, Dwyane and Union, as they walked the red carpet together. When asked how it felt to serve as an inspiration to others, Zaya said
“I really like how it feels. I feel like I’ve always been meant to accomplish something, and I believe I’ve found it.”
“Everyone allowed her to reintroduce herself. Her name is Zaya Wade!,” Her father posted on Instagram “Last night was Zaya’s first red carpet, and we couldn’t have been prouder of how she handled the questions that were asked of her. She has emerged as one of the young faces and voices for the LGBTQ+ community.”
After coming out, Zaya became a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. As a Black individual striving to make the world a better place, she was selected as one of The Advocate’s Women of the Year and as one of The Root’s Young Futurists in 2020.
In March 2021, Zaya engaged in a conversation with former first lady Michelle Obama in conjunction with the release of a younger reader’s edition of Obama’s memoir Becoming.
