Zaya Wade reveals the best advice she’s received from step-mother Gabrielle Union
Zia Wade shares the best advice she got from her stepmother, Gabriel Union.
A 15-year-old model who came out publicly Transgender In February 2020, it was recently unveiled. Bewildered. magazine’s cover star for its Spring 2023 issue. The cover story comes just a week after Zaya made her runway debut at the Miu Miu fashion show at Paris Fashion Week. Speaking to the magazine, the former NBA player’s daughter Dwyane Wade Talks about her gender identity, fashion, and growing up in the public eye while balancing high school.
When asked what beauty and self-love advice her stepmother, actor Gabrielle Union, has given her, Zaya replied: “The lesson has changed over time, but recently it’s Beauty is in you. It’s about being you and expressing yourself the way you want to.”
“She tries to teach me that beauty standards are arbitrary and mean nothing,” she continued. “They don’t matter anymore. What people used to think is not the standard, and just being yourself is the best technique out there.
Both Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union have been vocal supporters of their daughter Zia since she first came out publicly as transgender at age 12. Since then, basketball is the star Talked openly About her support for the LGBTQ+ community. Couple first Thank you As the proud parent of a transgender child and their teenage daughter to “guide them on their journey” to educate them about the LGBTQ+ community.
“I don’t think it’s my job, but it’s an honor for me to continue to educate my family and pass on the appreciation for the entire LBGTQ+ community as we grow together,” Zia said. When asked about their family’s commitment to learning more about the LGBTQ+ community, the family said, “As our understanding of acceptance has expanded over the past few years, we’ve made it a point to keep ourselves educated and combat ignorance. has made progress for.”
As for where Zia feels most empowered, the teenage model said she feels her best when she’s around her family. Wade and Union, who married in 2014, are parents to three-year-old daughter Kavya James. Besides Zaya, the union is also stepmother to Wade’s two children: 21-year-old Zaire and nine-year-old Xavier.
“They are such a huge support system and have always been there for me. No matter what happens, I feel the strongest when I’m with them,” she said.
When Zia made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week last Tuesday, both her father and her stepmother were there. Seen sitting in the front row In black sunglasses to please her. The high schooler shared several photos and videos from the Miu Miu show. InstagramAlso included is a sweet clip of her athlete dad walking the runway.
He commented on his daughter’s post, “Your kindness is something to witness @zayawade I’m proud of you.”
Recently, the parents have continued to support their transgender daughter in her fight. Change legally His name. Last year, Wade responded to his ex-wife’s court petition to legally change their daughter Zia’s name and gender. The Miami Heat player’s ex-wife, Siovanne Finches-Wade, filed a petition in court last November requesting that the 15-year-old girl wait until the “age of majority” to legally change her name and gender identity. Do it.
According to court documents obtained the peopleFunches-Wade also claimed that the athlete is “positioned to profit” from the gender reassignment through Zaya’s name and various companies and marketing opportunities, including but not limited to deals with Disney.
In an Instagram post, Wade called his ex-wife’s allegations “serious and damaging” to his children, saying he was “very disappointed that she continues to [finds] Ways to focus on yourself and her needs without worrying about your children.
“No one in our household would ever force Zia or any of our children to do anything against their will, much less pressure them to identify,” Wade added. “It’s not a game for my family and certainly not for Xia.”
After a public controversy, Zia-Wade was legally allowed to undergo a name change and gender assignment last month. the people.