by Shanique Yates
May 24, 2024
As he accepted his award, Wade also credited Zaya for being the inspiration behind Translatable, “a new online community designed to support transgender children and their families.”
Dwyane Wade continues to put his support behind the LGBTQ+ community. During a recent visit to South Florida, the NBA legend detailed his latest business venture while simultaneously receiving the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award during The Elevate Prize Foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit.
After his daughter came out as transgender in 2020, the state of Florida was in the middle of also passing anti-trans legislation that caused many trans adults to leave the state. After spending more than 14 seasons on the Miami Heat, Wade made the southern Florida city their permanent home, but it wasn’t long after the new laws were proposed that he moved his family to California in 2023, AP News reported.
“We’ve done so many great things here, so it wasn’t easy to leave,” Wade told the outlet ahead of the event. “But the community wasn’t here for Zaya, so the community wasn’t here for us.”
As he accepted his award, Wade also credited Zaya for being the inspiration behind Translatable, “a new online community designed to support transgender children and their families.”
“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?’” Wade recounted. “And, for her, it goes right to parents. It goes right to the adults. It goes right to us. 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.”
Funded by the Wade Family Foundation, the Chicago native has one hope for the new online platform, and that is to provide a community that will “support growth, mental health, and well-being, and that this space ignites more conversations leading to greater understanding and acceptance.”
What’s more, Wade revealed his plans to use the unrestricted funding of $250,000 from The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award towards Translatable. The CEO of the program also revealed that a separate additional donation will be made to support Wade’s latest endeavor.
“Dwyane Wade and what he represents speaks to the ethos of the whole foundation,” said Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram. “He is such a hero in the sports universe and even beyond basketball. He’s been in the social justice space almost since the very beginning of his NBA career, and most people don’t know that.”
For Wade, supporting trans rights is just an extension of his work as a father; and FOLX Health clinician Dr. Michelle Forcier said that an online community for trans youth is a program that can be very helpful.
“Youth are all about electronic and online communication, socialization, and communities,” she said. “So if you are trying to support youth, it only makes sense to be a part of how youth feel most comfortable communicating.”
Along with the aforementioned donation, Translatable is also made possible thanks to the support of the Human Rights Campaign and The Trevor Project.
