Dwyane Wade’s trans daughter Zaya urges Americans to vote for ‘kids like me’

Former basketball star Dwyane Wade and his trans daughter, Zaya, have urged Americans to vote in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

In a video published on the Instagram account of the Translatable Project, a digital “safe space” for trans youngsters, created by the pair earlier this year, Wade said: “The LGBTQ+ community needs leaders who will fight for all of us.

“I’m voting to stop the terrorising of our families, the bullying and the attacks on our access to healthcare.”

In a separate clip, Zaya, who is 17 and therefore too young to vote, pointed out: “Luckily, there’s no age limit on using my voice.

“As extremist politicians escalate their attacks on LGBTQ+ people, the stakes are higher than ever before. What’s at stake is our humanity, our right to exist and our ability to live in environments free from discrimination and fear.

“All of us deserve to be treated equally, and all of us deserve dignity and respect. I’m asking you to vote for me. Vote for kids just like me. Our voices deserve to be heard.”

Wade publicly announced that Zaya had come out as trans in 2020, during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, where he described how his daughter had shared her identity with him and his wife, Gabrielle Union. Since then, he has been an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.

Voters in the US are going to the polls today (5 November) to pick the next president. Some senate and house of representatives seats are also up for grabs, along with 13 gubernatorial positions.

Speaking exclusively to PinkNews, Maria Sjödin, the executive director of the LGBTQ+ organisation Outright International, issued a warning that Trump’s anti-trans attacks could have a “lasting” effect, regardless of whether he wins back the White House for the Republicans or Democrat Kamala Harris becomes the first female president.

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