Zaya Wade and Amy Schneider on defying trans “expectation” in the public eye
Trans icons Zaya Wade and Amy Schneider get candid about trans visibility with Teen Vogue and non-profit organisation It Gets Better.
In an Instagram Live interview with Teen Vogue and Zach Koung, a youth ambassador for the It Gets Better Project, Zaya Wade and Amy Schneider opened up about their trans experiences, their hopes for the trans community and more.
Zaya Wade, daughter of basketball star Dwyane Wade, expressed her hopes for adults to understand trans youth. “I honestly wish that a lot of adults understood and did not invalidate how confusing, uncomfortable and kind of abrupt, but also how beautiful being a part of any LGBTQ+ community is,” she explained.
The 14-year-old explained how some adults can attempt to delegitimise the experiences of trans and LGBTQ+ youth by perceiving their experiences as a “phase” or a passing moment. “I do think there is ‘Oh you’re just going through this’ or ‘Oh it’s fine’ – there is a lot of invalidation of what you’re going through, even if they do accept you as trans,” she told Teen Vogue.
