Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade proudly support trans daughter Zaya as she wins Groundbreaker award

Former basketball star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union proudly supported their trans daughter Zaya at the Out100 Gala as she collected her Groundbreaker award.

Zaya, 17, came out as transgender at age 12 and has become a well-known voice for the community, particularly trans youth.

The biological daughter of Dwyane Wade and his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, she is the step-daughter of Union who married Wade in 2014.

Wade has been included on the list, which honours the world’s most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people, for launching Translatable, an online safe space for LGBTQ+ youngsters and a resource for their parents, guardians and support systems.

“Being able to do something I love with my dad makes it even more impactful for me, and I hope for all trans families,” she told Out100.

“Honestly, my biggest joy and biggest obstacle is being trans in front of the whole world,” she added.

“It has challenged me every single day, and given me the opportunity to grow beyond heights I never thought I could reach.”

Speaking at the red carpet for the event alongside her parents, Wade described everyone on the Out100 list as “icons in queer media, queer history—like everything”.  

“I’m freaking out,” she said.

“This is my celebrity freak out. So I’m dying. But also, I’m just so honoured to be honoured.” 

“How can I even explain it? It’s just like so much happiness and love for the community.”

Throughout Zaya’s transition her parents have supported her, showcasing what true allyship looks like in practice.

Back in 2019, Dwyane Wade said he grew up “ignorant” to LGBTQ+ identities.

“I had to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘What if your son comes home and tells you he’s gay? What are you going to do? How are you going to be? How are you going to act? It ain’t about him. He knows who he is. It’s about you. Who are you?’” he said at the time.

A few months later in February 2020, Wade appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and announced Zaya had come out as trans and spoke of his hope to give her the “best opportunity to be her best self”. 

He said that he and Union are “proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community” and “proud allies as well”.

“We take our roles and our responsibility as parents very seriously,” Wade said.

“So, when our child comes home with a question, when a child comes home with an issue, when a child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information that we can, to give them the best feedback we can. That doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it.”

Union has also been public with her love and support for Zaya, saying in 2022 that her daughter coming out enabled their “bond to grow organically and naturally.”

“Zaya coming into [her] truest self did help because I am able to bond with who she actually is versus the representative that was speaking for her for years. Now she is completely herself and so I know her, not her representative,” Union said.