We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Jazz Jennings, the star of the TLC showI Am Jazzis a truly inspirational young woman.
Her family supported their daughter, andhelped the kindergartener transition.
Jennings grew out her hair, started wearing dresses, and had her ears pierced.
Today, Jennings is using her platform to raise awareness about transgender issues.
Far from being just another celebrity, Jennings is a true role model for kids.
Those who don’t accept her miss out on the honor of being counted among Jennings' friends.
“Once I told them they shied away from me…
This one girl in fourth grade wasn’t accepting, so we stopped hanging out.”
People can be cruel, but Jennings is choosing to rise above the haters and focus on positivity.
“Education and visibility are super important,” she said.
“With that visibility comes the knowledge required to be accepting of someone else.
If you are educated, you might make less ignorant decisions.”
I’m not just a transgender individual, I’m also Jazz.
Being transgender is not what defines her.
“I think that’s important that transgender individuals are just like everyone else.
We have our interests, our hobbies, our things we like to do.
And people have to understand that.”
Jennings is particularly close to her mother.
“I’m honestly the luckiest kid in the world,” she toldBroadly.
The work she does to raise awareness about the transgender community is groundbreaking.
In 2017, the very first transgender dolleverhit the market, and it was modeled after Jennings.
The decision to create a doll in her honor is a huge step towards better representation of transgender people.
“She’s incredibly brave, intelligent, warm-hearted and creative.”
“We are an ordinary American family,” she said.
I’m proud of the show.
I think it opened hearts and minds and helped people who were struggling."
She added that, fortunately, the cameras don’t follow her everywhere.
She still gets a lot of what she likes to call “Jazz Time.”
“In some cases, they say that we actually saved their lives.”
Her show has also helped turn her into a spokesperson and role model.
In an interview withTeen Vogue, Jazz gave advice to other transgender kids.
“Find people who accept you and let you be your authentic self,” she said.
“If you have parents who love you but just don’t understand, they will come around.”
With so much on-screen experience, it makes sense that she would be interested in exploring another storytelling platform.
Jennings especially loves science fiction and fantasy films.
She’s cracking down on her detractors, and refuses to engage with them.
“Laws are very important, but I think the main thing is society,” she toldPaper.
“Even if there is a law, people can still be discriminatory and that’s not okay.
I wish everyone could be accepting.
Not tolerant, because tolerant isn’t good enough; tolerant means you’re putting up with it.
People should be accepting of each other no matter their difference.”
In 2014, she co-wrote,I Am Jazz,a picture book geared towards children.
Her memoir delves deeper into her experiences, covering her childhood to her early teen years.
She hopes that sharing her story will help other transgender teens.
“This book is geared more towards transgender teenagers who are struggling,” she toldYahoo.
We just want the world to be a better place for our community."
