Dwayne Wade’s daughter Zaya shares how her family supported her gender transition: ‘To have someone who is like, ‘I got you’ is priceless.’

A Los Angeles judge ruled Zaya Wade can legally change her name and gender.Jacopo Raule/Getty Images

On Tuesday, March 7, Zaya Wade made her Paris Fashion Week runway debut at the Miu Miu show. In attendance were her father, basketball player Dwyane Wade, and step-mother, actress Gabrielle Union. A video posted of the couple cheering on Zaya and filming her catwalk went viral, with commenters praising their support.

At just 15 years old, Zaya has become an activist, fashion mogul, cover star, and role model. Since coming out as trans at the age of 12, she has set the bar for embracing her identity and tuning out negativity. But being a public voice for the trans community doesn’t come without its challenges. In a recent cover story with Dazed, Zaya says support from family and friends has been vital to her becoming.

In the cover story, Zaya was asked when it is that she feels most empowered. To that, she responded: “When my family surrounds me. They are such a giant support system and have always been there for me. No matter what happens, I feel strongest when I’m with them.”

“Support from parents is absolutely crucial to the development and wellbeing of transgender youth,” said Darlene Tando, a licensed clinical social worker in San Diego. “Just like any parent may listen to and encourage the passions or the interests of a child because they see that it makes them happy, this is a very core characteristic of the human. Being able to be affirmed for gender and being understood in our identity is a way for someone to go out into the world feeling understood, affirmed, and it improves a child and a teenager’s quality of life.”

With a rise in bans on trans youth and restrictions on gender-affirming medical care and social gender transitioning, support from parents is essential in creating a safe environment for trans children. A 2022 study found that when parents and guardians support diverse gender identities, suicidal tendencies decrease for transgender children and teens and the risk of physical abuse at school lessens.

Story continues

But knowing how to support a child who is transitioning often proves to be a struggle for many parents. Ultimately, seeking therapy for help navigating a child’s process has endless benefits for parents, experts say.

“When a parent is trying to wrap their brain around the fact that their child has a gender different than what they thought, it is a huge emotional and mental adjustment that can range on the spectrum anywhere from resistance to acceptance,” Tando told Insider. “It can take a bit to find their footing on this new identity.”

During this adjustment, parents are juggling a lot, Tando says, like seeking information and support, while affirming and advocating for their kid.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

In order to better equip themselves, Union and Dwyane, the celebrity couple reached out to the cast of “Pose” for information and advice, started family therapy, and took steps in protecting Zaya’s mental health, like limiting who can comment on her Instagram posts.

“It’s important to have somebody that’s trained to talk to, to hear, listen, and also affirm and also call out some of the inconsistencies in your parenting,” said Shavon Gaddy-Dalrymple, a psychotherapist in New York City. She says the scope of supportive parenting for trans children varies tremendously, being as simple as buying your child clothes that fit their new expression and as complex as moving to a different city that is more accepting of transgender people.

As Tando said: “The best outcome comes from kids who are affirmed and parents who are supported in affirming their kids.”

Read the original article on Insider