Zaya Wade, alongside her father NBA legend Dwyane Wade, has launched Translatable, a new initiative designed to provide a safe and supportive space for transgender youth, particularly young people of color. They made the announcement on Instagram, promising to make a significant impact in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Translatable aims to be much more than a safe space. It is going to be a comprehensive resource hub, where trans youth can freely express themselves. The initiative allows them to do so through creative outlets, such as poetry, photography and personal narratives. Translatable also offers educational resources for parents and families navigating questions of gender identity.

“For our family, we were blessed to have a community of supporters, and experts who could swiftly arm us with the tools we needed to support Zaya and her journey,” Dwyane Wade shared in the introductory Instagram clip. “I’m so very proud of the daughter I’ve had the opportunity to raise. She has been my biggest educator and inspiration on what it means to be true to you.”

Zaya Wade Leading a Family-Driven Initiative

The creation of Translatable is a deeply personal project for Zaya Wade, who came out as transgender in 2020 at the age of 12. According to her father in a conversation with ESPN, Wade has been the driving force behind this initiative.

“The question was presented to her as, ‘If you have one thing that you want to see change in this community, what would it be?’” the NBA legend recalled. “For her, it goes right to parents. It goes right to the adults. It’s not the kids. It’s us. And so she wanted to create a space that felt safe for parents and their kids. That’s what Translatable is, and it’s her baby.”

Translatable is not just a passion project. It’s backed by substantial support and funding. Dwyane Wade received the Catalyst Award at the Elevate Prize Foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit, which included a $250,000 grant to support the initiative. Additional support comes from the Wade Family Foundation, the Human Rights Campaign and the Trevor Project.

Alexander Roque, executive director of the Ali Forney Center, praised the initiative in a conversation with The Associated Press. Roque highlighted the critical need for such resources, especially in a time when anti-LGBTQ+ bills are being introduced across the nation.

“Not all bills turn into law, but they’re all acts of hate that affect our kids in very devastating ways,” Roque said. “To have someone of Dwyane Wade’s celebrity so invested in the community, it’s helping to change the tide of what’s happening to our kids and perhaps one of the most hopeful moments in what I hope is a changing tide.”

To learn more about Translatable, visit their website and follow their journey on social media.