The disarmingly charming Jazz Jennings is an extraordinary young woman. Identified as male at birth but by the time she could first speak she made it known that she considered herself a girl, and at just 4 years old was diagnosed with gender identity disorder. It was however an interview with Barbara Walters for 20/20 when she was just 6 years old that made Jazz a poster child for the transgender movement.
What is most remarkable about this trans teenager’s story is the unfailing support of her close knit family, her parents and her three siblings, who have not just helped facilitate Jazz’s transition but encouraged her to publicly share her story to help the current dialogue to de-mystify the trans community. From public speaking to setting up their own Foundation (www.TransKidsPurpleRainbow.org) and her countless guest television appearances, including a follow up interview with Barbara Walters in 2011, this articulate young lady has traded in her own privacy to help other kids who are having a much tougher time transitioning.
The documentary ‘I Am Jazz: A Family in Transition‘ aired on Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011, and was followed by the publication of a children’s book, I Am Jazz, that Jazz co-wrote with Jessica Herthel, the director of the Stonewall National Education Project. Then in 2015 the TLC network aired the first season of a reality show called ‘I am Jazz‘ which was a ‘warts and all’ look as the Jennings daily life as they dealt with how the complications of Jazz’z transitioning impacted the whole family.
The second season of the series aired this summer and showed amongst other things how the side effects of the medications that Jazz takes to help her through puberty greatly affect her spirits, and how dealing with the consequences of the depression upsets her energy levels too. One cannot help but be struck by her unfettered honesty in allowing us to see her interactions with her family and friends when the going gets a little tough, especially seeing that when she is not being a public spokesman for the ’cause’, she is essentially quite an introvert. What is particularly touching is her constant acknowledgement that she knows that having been able to transitioning at such an early age has given her a much easier journey than most of the other trans youth she encounters, some of whom have had such a tough time that they considered taking their own lives.
Jeanette her powerhouse of a mother is however the heroine of the piece. The fiercely loyal matriarch of the family, who even though she defers to Greg her supportive husband, is the determined driving force who not only supports Jazz’s every whim, but ferociously protects her from any negativity or transphobic hostility. It is obvious that Jazz has inherited her mother’s courage in wanting to confront some of the hate-mongers, and although Greg would prefer that the family just turn the other cheek, he still supports their efforts to publicly take all the detractors on.
The other touching element of the South Florida Jennings family dynamics (not their real name) is that Jazz’s older twin brothers who are about to leave the nest to go to College, are not shy about occasionally rebuking their mother for spending so much time with Jazz that she actually neglects them. Her attempts to make up for this are especially endearing.
The other people in the family are Jazz’s maternal grandparents for whom the learning curve about being transgender was obviously much greater, but her grandfather in particular is not only very much onboard but is also a well-informed and passionate advocate for his granddaughter.
‘I am Jazz’ single-handedly does so much to uncloak the reality of what it is like to be a transgender teenager and neatly disposes of many of the myths surrounding gender dysphoria. By allowing us to see close up how she deals with her ‘journey’ Jazz not is an example to other teenagers with the same diagnosis, but she more important she she demonstrates that you cannot do it alone as it really does takes a village. Or in this case, a very loving family.
The second series of ‘I am Jazz’ can still be viewed at TLC, and unlike the ‘I Am Cait’ series about the ubiquitous Caitlyn Jenner the most unreal reality show that was axed very quickly, ‘I am Jazz’ will hopefully be renewed for a third season any day now.
