Dwyane Wade Attends the Out100 Celebration in LA with Wife Gabrielle Union and Trans Daughter Zaya, 17 – Photos

For the empowering affair, the patriarch of the family sported a stylish denim jacket, black pants, a white polo neck, and matching sneakers.

Gabrielle dazzled in a fashionable mini plaid dress and black, closed-toe heels and carried a white clutch bag. Her beautifully braided hair, which was adorned with black beads, fell loosely over one of her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Zaya donned a chic and short black long-sleeved, button-down dress with a furry cheetah print collar. The end of the garment’s sleeves also featured the same furry cheetah detail by Zaya’s wrists. Completing her ensemble, the young lady wore black heels and left her straightened hair loose.

Not only did Zaya attend the annual event that spotlights “the most influential and impactful queer and trans folks who helped make the world a better place, more inclusive, and more representative in 2024,” but she was also honored as one of Out100’s Groundbreakers.

Other Hollywood stars who made it to the Out100 honoree list include Cynthia Erivo, Daniel Reynolds, Sheryl Lee Ralph (who was given the title of “Advocate of the Year”), Pattie Gonia, Katy O’Brian, Eugene Lee Yang and Law Roach, to name a few.

Aside from photos shared of Zaya, Gabrielle, and Dwyane at the event, media outlets posted videos of the trio posing on the red carpet. Social media users who saw these videos and images of the family flooded comment sections with reactions.

Many focused on how Zaya looked and expressed surprise at her height. “Didn’t realize Zaya was so tall,” noted an Instagrammer, while another marveled, “Wow Dwyane Wade’s daughter is statuesque.”

Echoing a similar sentiment, someone else commented, “When did she get so tall?! Def her daddy’s height genes!” “Zaya grew overnight!” exclaimed a Facebooker. A spectator observed, “Zaya is so tall now. Wow. Watch out Dwayne [sic]. She’s about to pass you.”

Surprised reactions continued, with yet another netizen expressing, “Is this Zaya? She looks grown grown. Maybe she is? Idk. In my mind she’s like 14/15. 🤷‍♀️ I like when she wears more youthful stuff, but that’s just the Auntie in me talking.” “Zaya got tall fast,” penned an Instagrammer.

Gabrielle received some public attention as well. “Gabby’s standing over there looking like a little girl. 🤷🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️,” remarked a netizen, while another stated, “Gabby looks younger than the kid👀🙏🏾pray [sic] is needed.”

Referencing both the “Bring It On” actress and Zaya, a social media user said, “Zaya looks just like their dad 😮 and Gabriel looks so young ❤️.” “Zaya is gorgeous 😍✨ And Gabby is stunning as well!” swooned a fan.

Zaya garnered more compliments from fans, with another gushing, “Zaya is gorgeous….❤️.” A fellow admirer praised, “She’s growing into a beautiful young woman […]”

The 17-year-old has made significant strides since coming out as trans in 2020. Speaking about his daughter’s decision to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres at the time, Dwyane made it clear that he and Gabrielle would support Zaya’s transition “unconditionally.”

Gabrielle and Dwyane have remained committed to their word, as they have shown Zaya support in all her endeavors. One such endeavor saw the teenager, who is reportedly preparing for college, launch “an online safe space for LGBTQ+ youth and their support systems,” called “Translatable,” which she started with her dad.

Speaking about the project, Zaya divulged, “Being able to do something I love with my dad makes it even more impactful for me, and I hope for all trans families.”

She has also spoken about her journey as a trans woman, sharing, “Honestly, my biggest joy and biggest obstacle is being trans in front of the whole world. It has challenged me every single day, and given me the opportunity to grow beyond heights I never thought I could reach.”

The unconditional love and guidance that Zaya has received from Dwyane and Gabrielle have also allowed her to be comfortable experimenting “with style as a means to explore femininity, masculinity, and understand gender expression” and “getting dressed as the ultimate form of self-discovery.”

In August 2023, Zaya spoke about being trans during an interview with Harpers Bazaar. After initially noting how scary it had been when she came out, Zaya revealed, “But as I got older, I realized that I’ve become a part of my community in a way that not a lot of people can say they have.”

She went on to highlight how “special” it has been for her to become an instrumental figure and voice for the LGBTQ+ community.

However, the advocate also clarified that she doesn’t necessarily see it as a “big thing” because she is just simply being herself and never had the intention of being a voice for people when she came out.

“I came out because I wanted to share my truth […] I think it’s best to just exist. I think we can get lost when we start looking at things in a really big way — even though it is all big,” added Zaya.

In the same interview, the teen also spotlighted her father as an inspiration and her “biggest advocate,” and noted the instrumental role he played in supporting the way that she chooses to present herself to the world.

Before sitting down with Harpers Bazaar, Zaya conducted an interview with Dazed in March 2023. During the conversation, she was asked about what it’s been like to grow up in the public eye.

“There are some highs and some lows. I mean, a lot of attention equals a lot more hate, a lot of transphobia, and [there is] a lot of pressure on me, but I’m also able to reach more people,” responded Zaya.

She also mentioned how the positive aspects of having a public platform far outweigh the online negativity. Concluding her statement, Zaya Wade disclosed, “It has allowed me to let in the positivity and distribute it to all of the trans people in the world who need a voice and give them a platform to get inspired to live with themselves without being afraid.”