Two weeks ago, Media Take Out reported that Zaya Wade’s alleged boyfriend – who is a teenage female-tamale transgender – posted pics of them kissing on Instagram.
Now Zaya, 14, is speaking out about her personal life in a joint interview with Gabrielle Union for People magazine.
The now daughter of Dwyane Wade addressed how she has learned to thrive in a world where she has become the subject of love and hate. Zaya also talked about the “motherly advice” that she has received from Gabrielle Union.
“As a trans person, once I came out, there was a lot of hateful comments about how I should grow my hair out long or fit into a certain version of femininity, even though that’s not true at all,” Zaya said. “That kind of advice is just trying to break you, but don’t let it.”
“[My stepmother, Gabrielle Union], telling me that not everyone in the world and in the media is going to be truthful about what you look like…I don’t have to believe everything they say. The only thing I have to believe is what I feel and what beauty means to me…I think focusing on inner beauty is the most important.”
Dwyane Wade explained the moment when he and wife Gabrielle Union decided to allow Zaya to change gender – from boy to girl. Zaya (then named Zaire) was just 3 years old at the time.
According to Dwayne and Gabrielle, Zaya Wade knew since she was 3 years old that she was transgender.
“Zaya has known it for nine years,” the retired NBA star told Robin Roberts last year during an interview with “Good Morning America.”
Dwyane told Good Morning America, “It was a process for us to sit down with our daughter and find out what she likes and who she is,”
