Jazz Jennings Biography | Who is Jazz Jennings
Jazz Jennings is a transgender American YouTuber, spokesmodel, television personality and LGBT rights activist born on 6th October 2000 in South Florida, U.S. She is one of the youngest documented transgender person and the youngest national transgender figure.
Jennings is an honorary co-founder of the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation which together with her parents founded in 2007 to help transgender youth. She is also the founder of Purple Rainbow Tails (2013) which she fashions rubber mermaid tails to raise money for transgender children.
Jaz was a guest at the e GLAAD Media Awards, sharing the stage with Zach Wahls and Lauren Foster in 2014. She was also named one of “The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014” by Time. She was also recognized as the youngest person ever featured on Out’s “Out 100” and Advocate’s “40 Under 40” lists.
She was named in OUT’s 2014 Trans 100 list, named a Human Rights Campaign Youth Ambassador, and received LogoTV’s 2014 Youth Trailblazer Award.
Jazz Jennings Age | Jazz Jennings Birthday
Jazz was born on 6th October 2000 in South Florida, U.S. (18 years old as of 2018)
Jazz Jennings Jewish
Jazz is Jewish and her mother once said in an interview that their last name is “a very Jewish, long last name.”
Jazz Jennings Parents
Jazz was born to Greg and Jeanette (Jennings is a is a pseudonym). Together with her parents Jazz co-founded TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation in 2007 to help transgender youth.
Jazz Jennings Siblings
Jazz has three siblings an older sister, Ari, and two older brothers, twins Sander and Griffen.
Jazz Jennings Grandmother
Jazz Jennings Boyfriend
Jazz is in a relationship with Amir. Jazz told her brother on the trailer of I Am Jazz Season 5 that she felt like she has been ready to fall in love for so long. She revealed that there was a guy in the picture and also said that they had kissed a lot.
“There’s a boy in the picture now. Amir just gets me, and I get him… I’ve kissed him a lot.”
Jazz Jennings Real Name | Jazz Jennings Birth Name | Jazz Jennings Boy Name
Jazz real name was Jared. According to InStyle she chose the name Jazz after her sister played the role of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin in a school play.
Her mother, Jeannette, during an interview with the Miami Herald revealed that “Jennings” is not their actual name.
“Jennings is our pseudonym, to sort of make life easier. We try to hide our real last name as much as possible. Our last name is a very Jewish, long last name. We found it easier at this point. She’s known as Jazz Jennings. With the TV show, they’re not going to tell anybody where we live. The TV show is not going to reference our true last name.”
Jazz Jennings Transgender
At birth Jazz was assigned male gender but at the age of five, in 2004, she was diagnosed with gender identity disorder, making her the youngest publicly documented people to be identified as transgender.
At the age of six Jennings and her family began appearing on television to speak about the challenges of growing up transgender. Her story has been covered by national television shows 20/20 and The Rosie Show.
In a follow up interview with Barbara Walters on 20/20 they discussed Jennings’ two-and-a-half-year battle with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the governing US body for the sport, to allow her to play on girls’ teams. Jazz succeeded in hanging the USSF’s policies to allow trans students to play aided by the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Jazz Jennings I Am Jazz
On 15th July 2015 a reality television series surrounding Jazz Jennings and her family premiered on TLC. The series features Jazz and her family “dealing with typical teen drama through the lens of a transgender youth.” The show premiered its fifth season on 1st January 2019.
Jazz Jennings Hormone
Jazz was put on hormone therapy to prevent male puberty. The hormone therapy prevents development of male features and blocks body hair growth.
Jazz Jennings Top Surgery
Jazz has said she does not want top surgery, she revealed this through her show ‘I Am Jazz’. “I don’t want top surgery anymore. I’m pretty happy with my body.” Jazz told her doctor.
The doctor replied: “This is the first time I’ve heard you say that you’re happy with your body. You’ve been happy with certain changes, but there were always concerns. This is the happiest I’ve seen you. You seem more comfortable in your own skin now than you have since I’ve known you, and that’s really, really great.”
Jazz Jennings Weight | Jazz Jennings Weight Loss
In 2018 Jazz lost at least 30 pounds (14 kg) in order to have gender confirmation surgery, which was scheduled for June 20, 2018.
Jazz had shared a video where she talked about how it was a challenge for her to loose weight as she had binge eating disorder.
“It’s just been such a challenge for me because I have binge eating disorder. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically when you get a whole bunch of food and you go on a binge. You eat all of it. You over-consume and it causes you to have regret after and you feel bad about yourself and your body, but you still do it anyway, because in that moment you get comfort and joy. Having an eating disorder is very difficult.”
Jazz Jennings Surgery | Jazz Jennings After Surgery
Jennings underwent gender confirmation surgery in June 2018. The procedure was success but her case was “experimental” for the doctors that operated on her.
On the I Am Jazz season 5 trailer Jazz said: “The surgical team haven’t figured out what approach they’re going to take to building my vagina. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life and now it’s time.”
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I Am Jazz Season 5 is coming to @tlc in 2019! Watch as I finally get the gender confirmation surgery that I’ve been talking about for years!! It’s gonna be a wild ride, stay tuned❤️ #iamjazz
Jazz Jennings Complications | Jazz Jennings Confirmation Surgery
Jazz underwent confirmation surgery which on her reality show was described as “penile inversion vaginoplasty” and “bilateral orchiectomy” and involved skin grafts to help create a vaginal canal. One of the doctors operating on her said it was “the most difficult case that I have encountered,” while another surgeon — Dr. Marci Bowers — said the procedure was “an engineering feat” and “pioneering” and “complicated.”
The surgeon told her that she needed a follow up operation within four months for cosmetic and scarring issues. They also warned her of possibilities of tearing her skin and stitches which could cause complications.
After the surgey Jazz was being wheeled from the hospital into a van when something went wrong and she had to be returned to the hospital for a second surgery.
“I feel a pop and with it, I felt this crazy pain, I felt like an incision just popped. I just don’t know what’s going on.” Jazz said.
Jazz Jennings Book
- In 2013 Jazz co-wrote a children’s book, I Am Jazz, with Jessica Herthel, the director of the Stonewall National Education Project. The book details Jazz’s life as a transgender child.
- In 2016 she authored ‘Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen’, which is her memoir.
Jazz Jennings Mermaid Tail
In 2013 Jazz founded Purple Rainbow Tails which she fashions rubber mermaid tails to raise money for transgender children.
Jazz Jennings Doll
In 2017 Robert Tonner and the Tonner Doll Company announced plans to produce a doll modeled after Jennings. The doll is the first doll marketed as transgender.
Jazz Jennings Instagram
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be sure to watch the new episode of #iamjazz tonight at 10/9c on @tlc !! — while watching the show, remember that we are all human beings and have our own faults and shortcomings. as a family we try to be the best we can be, but there are always situations and hurdles that affect us in negative ways or off-camera variables that influence our mood. out of hours of footage, only about 5% is used and only a portion of our story and who we are is captured. don’t make judgements, be compassionate and understanding to the way others respond in situations and respect them even if you disagree. Ultimately, i want the show to be remembered for introducing people to the life of a transgender girl who is embraced and supported by her family. It’s all about unconditional love, and I hope that is the legacy we can leave behind💕💕
Jazz Jennings Twitter
Jazz Jennings Before and After
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