Zaya Wade: Who Is She?
Zaya Wade is the older child of former NBA player Dwyane Wade. The actress Gabrielle Union is her stepmother. When Zaya was twelve, she came clean to her parents about being transgender; her father thinks she’s known since she was three. In February 2020, Zaya and her family came out with their gender in public so that she could live as herself. Zaya appeared on the red carpet alongside Dwayne and Union the next month. She has been acknowledged as a well-known younger LGBTQ+ person ever since.
Fast Facts
FULL NAME : ZAYA Wade,
BORN: 29 May 2007
DATE OF BIRTH: Chicago, Il
Sign of the Astrologer: Gemini
Childhood and Parents
May 29, 2007, saw the birth of Zaya Wade. Zaya is the second child of Siohvaughn Funches and former Miami Heat basketball player Dwyane Wade. Dwyane was granted sole custody of Zaya and her elder brother, Zaire Blessing Dwyane, after he and Funches got divorced.
Actress Gabrielle Union, who wed Dwyane in 2014, is Zaya’s stepmother. In 2018, Union and Dwyane became parents to Kaavia James, Zaya’s younger sister, through surrogacy. Dwyane fathered Xavier Zechariah, Zaya’s younger brother, from a prior relationship. In addition, her father is Zaya’s cousin Dahveon Morris’ guardian.
Dwyane and Union were inspired by Zaya to learn more about the transgender population, and as a result, they spoke with the Pose ensemble.”We just tried to figure out as much information as we can to make sure we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self.”
Making a Move
Zaya came out to her family as gay at the age of eight. Her loved ones were hesitant to disclose this at the time because they were afraid of the other person’s reaction. “It gets nasty when you’re in the spotlight,” Dwyane clarified. “When my child came out, she was eight years old. She was unprepared for the opinions of the outside world.”
Zaya’s self-awareness increased with age; at twelve, she said that she wanted to go by Zaya and use the pronouns she/her. “She was the one who sat down with us as a family and said, ‘Hey, I don’t think I’m gay,'” her father revealed. She proceeded to go over the list and declared, “This is how I define myself.” I identify as this gender. I consider myself to be a young woman. I like boys, hence I believe I’m a straight transgender person.” Zaya desired the freedom to be herself, which required being open about her gender.
It wasn’t until December 2019 that Dwyane spoke about Zaya using the pronouns she/her. On February 11, 2020, he said that Zaya was a female and used the pronouns she/her when appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. After Dwyane’s performance on Ellen, Union posted a video to Twitter with the caption, “Introducing Zaya. We are quite proud of her since she is kind, kind, and incredibly intelligent.” “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?” was one of Zaya’s wise comments in the video.
Union has said of the reaction to Zaya’s coming out as transgender, “With all of the love comes the hate too.” Social media was filled with supportive messages as well as racist and transphobic remarks.
Public Figure and Activist
In 2019, Union and public figure Zaya attended Miami Pride. She attended the Truth Awards, which recognize achievements in the Black LGBTQ+ community, in Los Angeles in March 2020. The 12-year-old, Dwyane, and Union all wore matching custom-made suits as they walked the red carpet together. Zaya said, “I think it feels great,” in response to the question of how she felt about serving as an inspiration to others. I believe I have now found what I was supposed to accomplish, as it seems to have always been there.”
Let her reintroduce herself, everyone—her name is Zaya Wade!” her father said on Instagram following the incident. “Zaya walked the red carpet for the first time last night, and we couldn’t be more proud of the way she answered questions. She has become one of the LGBTQ+ community’s youthful faces and voices.
Zaya became an influence to the LGBTQ+ community and beyond after coming out. She was chosen as a Black person who has worked to better the world in 2020 and as one of The Advocate’s Women of the Year and The Root’s Young Futurists.
In March 2021, Zaya conducted an interview with former First Lady Michelle Obama in relation to the publication of a younger reader-focused edition of Obama’s memoir, Becoming.
