“ If there is one thing you would like to see change in this community, what would it be? ” That question, Dwyane Wade asked her daughter, Zaya. Almost 17 years old, she declared herself transgender in 2020, when anti-transgender legislation was current in Florida and other states, which pushed many transgender adults to move.
The Wade family sold their Florida home last year and have since moved to California. “ We've done so many great things here that it wasn't easy to leave. But the community wasn't there for Zaya, nor for us “, regrets the old local legend.
The former Heat fullback took advantage of his visit to Florida, to receive an award, to put the subject on the table. And announced the creation of Translatable, a new online community designed to support transgender children and their families.
In response to the question asked, her daughter considered that adults must take responsibility. “ It's us who are concerned, it's not the children. It's us. She therefore wanted to create a space where parents and their children would feel safe. That's what Translatable is, and that's its baby », Continues Dwyane Wade.
Prize money used
The latter hopes that this platform, funded by the Wade Family Foundation, will offer a way to “ support growth, mental health and well-being, and that this space will spark more conversations leading to greater understanding and acceptance “. He said he would use the $250,000 in funding that came with the prize for Translatable Elevate Prize Catalyst Awardfrom which he was a beneficiary.
The award helps its recipients, including actors Matt Damon and Michael J. Fox and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, amplify their philanthropic work by using the foundation's resources and relationships to inspire more donors and of sympathizers.
“ We understand that not everyone in this state thinks the same way. As with most things in life, when you learn about them, you are more likely to be understanding. So if you don't want to know them, you remain ignorant in a certain sense », concludes Dwyane Wade.
