Dwyane Wade says he is 'damn proud' of daughter Zaya as they launch online resource for transgender youth

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade and his daughter Zaya Wade recently launched Translatable, an online community and safe space for LGBTQ+ youth of color to express themselves through creative outlets, as well as act as an educational resource for parents and families.

The Miami Heat star was presented with the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award on Thursday, May 23, at a Miami summit, for his advocacy work for the transgender community. While talking to PEOPLE Magazine, Dwyane asserted that the new accolade stood separate from his basketball achievements. 

Dwyane Wade says people need to have acceptance to make the work a better place

"Sports is something you can expect an award from. But this one right here is not one of those things that I would expect to get an award for. I’m just a parent doing what a good parent should do," noted Dwyane, whose teenage daughter, Zaya, publicly came out as transgender in 2020 at the age of 12. 

Though it was just the 13-time All-Star who was officially presented with the award, he mentioned it is very much a shared prize, saying, "This is a Wade family award. This is just part of the Wade family, all the things that we do … We feel that in this space to make the world a better place, you have to have acceptance."

Zaya, who will turn 17 on May 29, has been working with her father for the past two years on Translatable.

On the digital platform, young members of the LGBTQ+ community will be able to express themselves by submitting content, such as poetry, photography, or any general thoughts or suggestions. Additionally, Dwyane and Zaya will publish original material on the website.

It will also offer educational resources to parents and families whose children have inquiries concerning gender identity. 

Dwyane Wade is 'damn proud' of daughter Zaya for thinking about a larger community despite her young age

Dwyane is really proud of Zaya's demeanor, especially in light of the attention she's received.

He expressed, "She didn't ask for this extra excitement in life. She just wanted to be a kid and do kid things and live her life and be selfish and worry about herself. That's what you're supposed to do at her age, worry about you. But she's thinking about a larger community, and so I'm damn proud of her as a father."

Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina García Jayaram told PEOPLE Magazine, "For us, Dwyane Wade really does embody this beautiful combination of being a beacon within the NBA, somebody that is looked up to by other players, teams, obviously the fans and has a lot of social power."

She continued, "He's used it for good for so many years, and now is kind of entering this new real chapter of his philanthropy and his impact work. And we're just so honored that we're at that moment with him. It seems such a natural fit as he's embarking on this work with Translatable."

As a part of the award, the NBA star received $250,000 in funding for Translatable, which was officially launched at the Miami event. 

Dwyane is the first athlete to receive the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, which has been previously awarded to Michael J Fox, Malala Yousafzai, and Matt Damon.