Zaya Wade Opens Up About Her Bond with Gabrielle Union — and the Lessons She's Learned from Her

Zaya Wade is grateful to have her family as her biggest cheerleaders.

The 15-year-old appears on her first-ever magazine cover with DAZED, where she opened up about having a "giant support system" in her family, which includes dad Dwyane Wade and stepmom Gabrielle Union.

Since coming out as transgender in 2020, Zaya has received unconditional support from the former NBA star, 41, and Bring It On actress, 50.

Asked when she feels most empowered, Zaya shares, "When my family surrounds me."

"They are such a giant support system and have always been there for me," she adds. "No matter what happens, I feel strongest when I'm with them."

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The teenager, who was granted an official name change and assignment of gender by a Los Angeles county judge last month, also shares how she and her family — including siblings Kaavia James, 4, and sons Zaire, 21, and Xavier, 9 — continue to grow together.

"So many big changes have happened over the last couple of years with me, but also just in general. 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," she says.

Adding, "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."

Some of the lessons she's learned from her family are those from Union, who Zaya says has taught her that "beauty is in yourself."

"It's about being you and expressing yourself the way you want to. She tries to teach me that beauty standards are arbitrary and that they don't mean anything," Zaya continues. "They don't matter anymore; what people thought was the standard is not. And just that being myself is the best technique out there."