Zaya Wade, one of Harper’s Bazaar’s Icons for 2023, is determined to make the world safer for trans kids.
The daughter of retired NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, Zaya, 16, has cited the unwavering love and support of her famous parents as a crucial part of her coming-out story, which unfolded in the added glare of the spotlight. Wade now wants to use that platform to ensure that other LGBTQ+ people of all ages feel seen and embraced, by speaking openly and publicly about both triumphs and challenges on her ongoing journey.
To see more from our 2023 Icons issue, including cover stars Kendall Jenner, Doja Cat, and Paul Mescal, click here.
Turning 16 was a big deal for me. I’m realizing that time is going by so fast. But this year, I set this goal for myself to give more back to my community. I’ve become more of a public voice for my community, and I’ve been trying to figure myself out and making sure I am comfortable with who I am as a person. Now that I am, I really want to make more strides to help my community in whatever way I can.
I look back at when I first came out, and it was scary and so personal. Then when I told the world, it all became this symbol. I was just 12! But as I got older, I realized that I’ve become a part of my community in a way that not a lot of people can say they have.
It’s been really special that I’ve been able to become this voice and figure. But at the same time, I don’t really sit back and look at it as this big thing. This is just me existing. I came out, and that was it. I didn’t come out with the intention to be a voice for people. I came out because I wanted to share my truth. Now I get to be a voice for the trans community and be someone that a lot of young trans kids who have or haven’t come out can look to. But I think it’s best to just exist. I think we can get lost when we start looking at things in a really big way—even though it is all big.
Fashion has always been an extension of my true self. It’s really a way to silently but boldly tell the world or show the world who you are on the inside—or who you really want to be.
Every time I get glam and [have my] hair and makeup done—whether it’s braids or my natural hair or a wig—it’s so empowering because I get to choose the way that I, myself, get to highlight what I really, truly believe is beautiful. I’m never trying to mask anything. I’m just trying to really show how I feel on the inside.
My dad is who truly inspires me the most. Kids always tend to look up to their parents, but not only did I idolize him growing up, but especially now, as I’m growing older and getting to know him and see him as a real person, I realize that he has played such an essential role in supporting me and the way that I choose to present myself to the world. He’s been so supportive and my biggest advocate. He took the time and learned and grew. I want to have that same mentality going through anything in life.
Coming out is such a big change. It’s hard to navigate. We’ve all really learned more about each other and the way we can coexist and grow together in this crazy world, especially in the public eye. It’s like a spotlight is always on you. At the end of the day, though, we are a family, and we support and love each other and we are grateful.
This interview and the photo shoot were conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.
A version of this article appears in the September 2023 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, available on newsstands August 29.
Hair: Tomo Jidai for Oribe; makeup: Frank B for LoveSeen; manicures: Lisa Jachno for Chanel Le Vernis; production: One Thirty-Eight Productions; set design: Philipp Haemmerle. Special thanks to Buttercup Venues.
Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed.
