What is Dwyane Wade's initiative Translatable all about? Exploring Wade Family Foundation's role in supporting LGBTQ community
Dwyane Wade and his family have been committed to helping the LGBTQ+ community. Having a trans daughter has led the family to be more involved in all types of causes to help this minority since his daughter Zaya came out as transgender in 2020.
On Thursday, the Miami Heat icon received the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award in a ceremony at the Elevate Prize Foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit. The Wade family has been behind Translatable, an online community created to offer support to transgender children and their families. Talking about this idea, Wade directly credited Zaya for the inspiration.
“The question was presented to her as, ‘If you have one thing that you want to see change in this community, what would it be?’,” Dwyane Wade recalled, via AP. “And, for her, it goes right to parents. It goes right to the adults. It goes right to us. It’s not the kids. It’s us. And so she wanted to create a space that felt safe for parents and their kids. That’s what Translatable is, and it’s her baby.”
Wade left Miami, where he became a huge idol, winning three NBA championships with the Heat, and relocated to California in the wake of a controversial anti-trans legislation in Florida.
“We’ve done so many great things here so it wasn’t easy to leave,” Wade said before the award ceremony. “But the community wasn’t here for Zaya, so the community wasn’t here for us.”
This whole situation hasn't been easy for Wade and his family, as they have gotten criticized for Zaya's decision and the fact that Dwyane Wade has been nothing but supportive of her. Still, they're working to make this world a better place for her and those who feel they don't belong or don't have people to support them.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union stand strong in support of Zaya
Despite receiving criticism from fans, former players like Kwame Brown and even celebrities like rapper Boosie, Dwyane Wade has always been there for his daughter. He's talked about the process of seeing his son become his daughter (via the Kelly and Mark show) which never stopped him from being the best dad he could be.
Gabrielle Union never hesitates to hype up Zaya, as she did when the 16-year-old went to Milan for a collaboration with fashion brand Bottega Veneta.
"Looooove ❤️," she wrote under an Instagram post back in February.
Wade and Union have been together since 2008. They got married in 2014, becoming a power couple in the NBA. They have a great family that supports one another whenever and wherever especially when it comes to Zaya.