Zaya Wade has received an outpouring of support from her father, NBA legend Dwyane Wade. | Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix

Dwyane Wade has very thoughtfully and carefully emerged as a champion of the transgender community. That’s because his daughter, Zaya Wade, is trans herself.

His progression into the public spotlight, not just for himself as a trans dad but also for his daughter and family, wasn’t rushed. As someone who spent countless hours in and around basketball courts and NBA locker rooms, he knew that some people wouldn’t even understand what “transgender” is. He didn’t understand it.

Yet Wade has become a real champion of trans people and the LGBTQ community. The latest recognition of his championing of acceptance is reflected in his being named the Catalyst Award winner from the Elevate Prize, which seeks to “make good famous.”

Of course, Wade is already famous. He is one of the great NBA players of all time. He won three NBA titles with the Miami Heat and was a 13-time NBA All-Star. He’s No. 12 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He’ll also an Olympic gold medalist and will be a basketball analyst at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics for NBC, a wonderful inclusion of a pro-LGBTQ voice at the Olympics.

Now he’s teaming up with his daughter to launch a new digital platform called Translatable to support LGBTQ youth and their families.

“Translatable is a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth to express themselves and is a resource hub for their parents, families, and support systems,” the website says. It lists the Human Rights Campaign and Trevor Project as partners.

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Wade addresses Translatable visitors directly on the site, talking about the importance of resources.

“For our family we were blessed to have a family of supporters and knowledgeable experts who could swiftly arm us with the tools we needed to support Zaya in her journey,” he says.

It’s also powerful in the welcome video to hear Dwyane talk about his trans daughter with no reservation.

“I’m so very proud of the daughter I’ve had the opportunity to raise,” he says. The way “daughter” rolls off his tongue is a simple example for others to see. To have a man with that stature in American professional sports seamlessly refer to Zaya as his “daughter” is powerful.

While Translatable isn’t much right now, Zaya promises big things to come.

“Over the next few months we’ll be rolling out content, resource guides and interactive features where we can hear from you,” she says. “So make sure to sign up for email updates. We’re just getting started.”