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Zaya Wade Is Legally Granted Her Name & Gender Change
Her parents, Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union, called for a ‘new era of activism’ at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards.
Looking for a reason to smile today? Look no further than the Wade family. Zaya, daughter of basketball star Dwayne Wade and stepdaughter to actor Gabrielle Union was, at long last, granted her legal name and gender change, three years after coming out as transgender.
US Weekly confirmed that a judge approved the request on Friday, and the teen activist (and model) is now legally known as Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.
Dwayne first shared Zaya’s story during a guest appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020, recalling that Zaya first came out to them when she was 12.
“[She] said, ‘Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, I’m ready to live my truth. And I want to be referenced as she and her. I would love for you guys to call me Zaya,’” he recalled. “Now it’s our job to one, go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship that we have.”
This weekend, the couple reaffirmed their support of the LGBTQ+ community, and their daughter as well during an acceptance speech at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night.
"Zaya, as your father, all I've wanted to do is get it right. I've sat back and watched how gracefully you've taken on the public scrutiny and, even though it's not easy, I've watched you walk out of that house every morning as yourself," Wade said.
"I am intentional when I use my platform. I recognize what I have been given and it is my job to uplift the voices of others and share my access and resources," Wade continued. "You've taught me that communication with my mouth isn't enough. I have to also communicate with my two ears and my two eyes.”
Union added that it's time for a ‘new era of activism’ in which the trans and queer community need to be supported, as well.”
“A new era that demands our collective answer to one simple question: Will we fight for some or will we fight for all of our people?" Union said. "Even as we demand equality at the top of our lungs, we consistently fail to extend our advocacy to protect some of our most vulnerable among us."
Take note straights: This is what a family looks like, and this is what an ally looks like.
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Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq, and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq, and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
