OlderZaya Wade Dishes on What It's Been Like Growing Up in the Public Eye
Zaya Wade takes the Spring 20023 cover of Dazed magazine!
The 15-year-old model and activist, and daughter of former NBA star Dwyane Wade, opened up about fashion, beauty, self-love, her step-mom Gabrielle Union, and growing up in the public eye.
“So many big changes have happened over the last couple of years with me, but also just in general,” she told Dazed. “I think it’s not my job, but it’s my honour to continue and further my family’s education and appreciation for the entire LBGTQ+ community as we grow together. As our understanding of acceptance has broadened over the past couple of years, we have made the strides to keep ourselves educated and combat the ignorance.”
Keep reading for more from Zaya…
On growing up in the public eye, Zaya said, “There are some highs and some lows. I mean, a lot of attention equals a lot more hate, a lot of transphobia, and [there is] a lot of pressure on me, but I’m also able to reach more people. The positives of having such an inclusive platform completely outweigh all of the negativity online, which my support system has enabled me to filter out. It has allowed me to let in the positivity and distribute it to all of the trans people in the world who need a voice and give them a platform to get inspired to live with themselves without being afraid.”
On one thing she wishes all younger Trans kids knew, she shared, “You’re not alone! There are so many people out there. I wish I knew that as a kid because I felt so isolated, thinking there was no one else like me. And the percentage of trans adults versus trans children is such a wide difference. [When you’re] a child at school you’re like, “I’m trans, and I don’t see many trans people, so I feel isolated, I feel different from anyone.” But that is not the only community. There are thousands of communities waiting [for you], and the trans community is forever growing. Even if you can’t have direct contact with them, just seeing their experience is so accessible because of social media. Other people can inspire you.”
For more from Zaya, head to DazedDigital.com!
ICYMI: Zaya recently made her runway debut in the Miu Miu fashion show at Paris Fashion Week. See the pics!
