After making her Paris Fashion Week debut, Zaya Wade has opened up about the love and support she gets from her family members!
She also shares how she plans to use her voice to help others in the LGBTQ+ community.
Zaya Wade says she is “strongest” when surrounded by her loving family
During a recent feature in dazed Magazine, the 15-year-old opened up about what makes her feel “empowered.” She warmly shared that simply spending time with her family is enough.
“When my family surrounds me. They are such a huge support system and have always been there for me. No matter what, I feel my strongest when I’m with them.”
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Zaya continued, specifically acknowledging some life lessons she learned from her stepmother, Gabrielle Union.
“The lesson has changed over time, but lately it’s been said that beauty is within yourself. It’s about being yourself and expressing yourself the way you want to.”
Zaya continued, noting that the Bring it on The actress actively tries to instill the mentality that “beauty standards are arbitrary” and ultimately “mean nothing.”
“She’s trying to teach me that ideals of beauty are arbitrary and don’t mean anything. They don’t matter anymore; What people thought was standard is not. And just being myself is the best technique out there.”
She wants to use her voice for the benefit of the LGBTQ+ community: “I am a microphone”
Aside from opening up about her relationship with her family, Zaya also opened up about what the future holds for her.
After reflecting on how “so many big changes” have taken place in her personal life in recent years, Zaya acknowledged that it’s her “honor to continue to serve the LGBTQ+ community.”
“So many big changes have happened to me in recent years, but also in general. I guess it’s not my job, but it’s my honor to continue and encourage my family’s education and appreciation of the entire LBGTQ+ community as we grow together.”
She went on to refer to herself as the “mic” for the community, and she aspires to “use [her] personal experience to spread the positive and also the negative in life.”
“I am a microphone. I am a person of my own and have my own experiences, but as a role model for myself, I try to use my personal experiences to spread the word about the positives as well as the negatives of life as many LGBTQ+ youth go unrecognized in every way.”
Zaya remarked, “I think I’m here to share those experiences: to express them, but also to enhance them. So the world can know, ‘We’re here, we’re queer, we’re here to stay, and we’re not going anywhere.’”
Ultimately, she shared that she aims to “do more for [her] Community,” and 2023 is the year she will make it happen.
“I want to do more for my community. I went through a journey of self-discovery, and while I am a voice, there is so much more I can do. I’m a teenager so there are limitations but I want to overcome these to lay the foundation for those in need. This year I plan to do more and be there for people like me.”
In other words, Zaya actively plans to focus her efforts on helping others, and she has the support of her family in this endeavor!
Shoutout to Zaya Wade and we wish her the best as she continues to live her best life!
