Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
Seventeen-year-old Zaya Wade is stepping into her power with beauty and grace, and she hasn’t even graduated from high school yet.
The model and LGBTQIA+ advocate recently sat down with Seventeen for her digital cover story, published on Feb. 24, where she shared her excitement about entering a new “era.” Zaya, the daughter of NBA legend Dwyane Wade, and stepdaughter of actress Gabrielle Union, discussed her busy schedule, including applying to college, running her new nonprofit Translatable, which focuses on protecting the LGBTQIA+ community, and gave insight into her current dating life.
1. Zaya is applying to college.
Zaya is applying to college, but she isn’t sure where she will be attending just yet. An Instagram post shared to her famous father’s account in May 2024 captured her browsing around the University of Washington in Seattle during a college tour, People reported.
As a high school senior, Zaya hopes to attend a university where she can fully embrace her identity as a transgender teen. However, with the rise of anti-trans bills being enacted across the country, she worries about her safety. Twenty anti-trans laws were passed in 2025, alone, according to Translegislation.
“It would be a little too idealistic to say I’m going to be safe anywhere I go. Even if I’m in a blue state or blue city or blue county, it’s not to say that it will be free of Black and queer discrimination. But I’m obviously factoring in the safer choices,” says Zaya, who came out as transgender in 2020, to Seventeen. “I really want to put myself in spaces where I know I can find my community and my community can find me, and we can work together to keep the queer community across the country strong.”
2. She’s single and ready to mingle.
Like any teen, love and romance appear to be on the mind of the Gen-Z beauty. The Miu Miu model revealed that she is on the market and currently dating, although “dating” is a term that is a bit “aggressive” for Zaya. She’d much rather have a casual situation at this stage of her life.
“In Gen Z, situationships are king. In no way are we opposed to a relationship, but sometimes there’s comfort in not being so locked in. At the end of [the] day, I have to focus on me,” she said.
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When asked if her parents are aware of her romantic life, Zaya shared that Wade and Union are “really cool about it.” She enjoys sharing the “dirt” on her situationships with her stepmom, but finds it a bit more challenging to talk about with her dad. According to Zaya, her father often tries to “scare” the people she shows interest in.
“He’s kind of intimidating. The people I’ve dated have all been afraid of him in the first interaction. He’s gigantic and he has this deep, booming voice. But the facade only lasts for so long and you actually see his real personality. He’s a teddy bear.”
3. Zaya started the nonprofit Translatable to create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth to express themselves.
As she navigates romantic life, Zaya is also juggling the weight of being a community leader and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community through her non-profit Translatable, which she started with her dad. Created in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, the remarkable platform provides resources and guidance to help LGBTQIA+ youth transition to adulthood while dealing with the challenges of being part of the community in today’s politically charged climate against LGBTQIA+ individuals. Zaya earned a 2024 Out100 Groundbreaker award for her critical work.
“I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for Translatable and have to write it down,” the changemaker shared. “I’m just so passionate about what it can represent and what it can become. It’s the worst handwriting you’ve ever seen, chicken scratch because it’s one in the morning.”
Zaya said she’s especially honored that her dad created the initiative alongside her, “especially as an African American male,” helping to challenge homophobia in the Black community. Wade has been right by the teenager’s side ever since she came out in 2020. The proud father took a significant step in 2022 by filing paperwork to legally change the youngster’s name to Zaya, in order to affirm her gender identity.
“Honestly, him being raised in a traditional Black household in Chicago…the culture there isn’t very queer-friendly,” she added. “I hope that it will continue to inspire people to allow themselves to learn and understand queerness before bashing it.”
Zaya is on a mission and we can’t wait to see where she heads next.
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