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Meet the Logo30: Zaya Wade

"Being my full authentic self feels euphoric."

Every day during the month of June, we will be spotlighting our 2022 Logo30. This powerful series profiles ordinary and extraordinary people who show pride in unique and provocative ways. Visit the Logo30 homepage to view current and past honorees.

Zaya Wade is stepping into the spotlight this Pride Month.

The 15-year-old daughter of retired NBA athlete Dwyane Wade and stepdaughter of Gabrielle Union came out as trans in 2020, when Dwyane Wade went on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show and spoke candidly about Zaya's coming out journey.

Zaya is one of the honorees for this year's Logo30. The trailblazing teen sat down with Logo to talk about being trans, if she has ever attended a Pride parade, what it's like living as your full authentic self, and how to deal with transphobia.

“Transphobia still exists and is widely common. There are genuinely people out there who think that you’re a kid, this is a phase, or you don’t actually know what you’re talking about," Zaya says in her Logo30 video. "I know that I’m trans and it’s not like one day I just went, ‘I want to try out being trans.’ No. So just suck it up. We are who we are.”

Zaya says she went to her first Pride parade in Miami, describing it as "a transformative experience," a "milestone" moment for her: "It's just so heartwarming to see all these people coming out and celebrating themselves and each other and it's so colorful and vibrant. It's just filled with life."

When asked what it's like being able to live as your full authentic self, Zaya says it "feels euphoric."

"It's like freedom, just to release of tension and all this anxiety... Just being out and open and truthful about who I am to myself and others, those I love," she explains. "Is just a beautiful feeling to have and hold and to be able to share with the rest of the world, and help more people come into their truth. I know not every situation is the same for everyone, but it really is a beautiful and inspirational feeling to have."

Get to know Wade and the rest of our incredible 2022 Logo30 honorees in the video below.

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