Dwyane Wade is helping to usher daughter Zaya into a new phase in her journey. The NBA veteran has petitioned the courts to legally change the 15-year old's gender and name, from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade. According to reports, Wade notified the court that he has “full authority” to file the petition without the consent of Zaya’s mother, Siohvaughn Funches. The courts however did send Funches a courtesy notice of Wade's petition.
Zaya's name change comes just months after her D. Wade spoke about fearing for his daughter's life due to the violence that trans men and women face everyday. During his speech at the Time 100 summit back in June, he shared, “As blessed as it is for my daughter to have parents who can support her, I’m still afraid every moment she leaves the house. And not just because of gun violence, but because of the way people perceive her in this world."
Wade has also been vocal about anti-trans policy, saying, “To me, it’s a joke. This is our life. We live this. When you’re out there making rules, if you’re not experiencing this. Come and live a day with my daughter. Come and see how it is to walk through this world as her.” As for Zaya, she's also aware of some of the potential dangers that sometimes come when living your truth.
Back in May, while speaking about inner beauty and advice from stepmom Gabrielle Union, the teen shared, "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. That kind of advice is just trying to break you, but don't let it. [Gabrielle] 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."
Check out some of Zaya Wade's beauty moments below.