Zaya Wade celebrated her 19th birthday by bringing together family, friends, and supporters for a cause close to her heart.
The model and activist hosted the second annual Translatable Ball on May 30 at The Mayan in Los Angeles. The masquerade-themed event served as a fundraiser for the Translatable Project, the organization she cofounded with her father, Dwyane Wade.
“I hope [guests] understand that even though this is a masquerade, we are not meant to be hidden; we are meant to be seen,” she told Teen Vogue. “You can do whatever you want, you can express whatever you want, you can be whoever you want, and there’s no judgment.”
She also spoke about the importance of community.
“It’s [all] about finding your people. You have to,” she said. “If it [feels] scary or hard or it feels like there’s no one there, that’s what [organizations] like Translatable and all these trans organizations are for—to help you understand that there are people around who are there for you.”
Among those there to support Zaya were Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union.
While speaking to Teen Vogue, the couple shared their hopes for the evening.
“I want everyone to leave feeling peaceful, that they came and had a great time. Nobody needs to regulate their nervous system, because it has been regulated,” Union said.
“I want everyone to leave here feeling an expansion in their life,” Dwyane added. “Hopefully, everyone comes in and lets out their creativity, their humor, all the feelings, all of the emotions, and they walk out feeling fuller than they did when they walked in.”
After the event, Zaya reflected on the night in an Instagram post.
“The perfect birthday @translatableproject. Thank you to everyone who joined us at our second ball and made it such a special night,” she wrote.
Translatable, which launched through the Wade Family Foundation in 2024, provides resources and support for LGBTQIA+ youth and their families.
