At the Make Good Famous Summit on Thursday, NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade was presented with the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award for his urgent and vital work. Together with his 16-year-old daughter Zaya, he founded Translatable, an online community that is not just a support system but a lifeline for transgender children and their families. Wade's mission for this community is clear: "support growth, mental health, and well-being, and to spark conversations that lead to greater understanding and acceptance."
Wade will use the $250,000 in unrestricted funds he received from winning the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award to fund Translatable. Carolina García Jayaram, CEO of Elevate Prize Foundation, mentioned that her organization contributed an additional donation to the initiative. Dwyane Wade told the Associated Press, “The question was presented to [Zaya] as, 'If you have one thing that you want to see change in this community, what would it be?'" Wade continued, "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."
Dwyane Wade Creates 'Translatable' With The Help Of His Daughter Zaya
As a result of anti-trans laws in the state of Florida,Dwyane Wade, who lived and played for the Miami Heat for nearly his whole playing career, moved his family to California following Zaya's 2020 announcement of her gender identity. "We've done so many great things here so it wasn't easy to leave," he said of the move. "But the community wasn't here for Zaya, so the community wasn't here for us."
With an emphasis on assisting communities of color, Translatable will be launched in Florida with backing from The Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign. "We understand that in this state that not everyone thinks the way some others think," Wade noted. "Like most things in life, once you get to know them, you have more ability to be understanding. And so if you don't want to know them, then you stay ignorant in a sense."
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