You know Zaya Wade. She is a model, activist and daughter of NBA legend Dwyane Wade.
Well, she just did her very first cover story (!!!) in which she spoken about the support she has received from her parents since coming out as transgender and the personal advice she received from her stepmother, Gabrielle Union.
Zaya told Dazed, “The lesson has changed over time, but lately it’s that beauty is within yourself.”
“It’s about being yourself and expressing yourself the way you want to,” continued Zaya, 15. “She’s trying to teach me that beauty standards are arbitrary and don’t mean anything. They don’t matter anymore; what people thought was the standard is not. And just being yourself is the best technique out there.”
Zaya said her family in general has been a “huge support system” for her – as she’s dealt with “ups and downs” since first coming out as transgender in 2020.
“I mean a lot of attention means a lot more hate, a lot of transphobia and [there is] a lot of pressure on me,” Zaya shared, “but I can also reach more people.”
“The positives of such an inclusive platform far outweigh all the negativity around the web,” continued Zaya, “that I was able to filter through my support system. It has allowed me to let the positivity in and spread it to all the trans people in the world who need a voice and giving them a platform to be inspired to live with themselves without fear.”
Zaya said she also tries to use her “personal experience” to show the “positives and also the negatives” in life. “I’m here to share those experiences: to express them, but also to enhance them,” she said. “So the world can know, ‘We’re here, we’re queer, we’re here to stay, and we’re not going anywhere.'”
You can read everything Zaya had to say Here.
