Transgender at 11: Listening to Jazz Jennings | 20/20 | ABC News
Summary
TLDRThe script tells the inspiring story of Jazz, an 11-year-old transgender girl who, with the support of her family, openly identifies as female despite being born biologically male. Jazz's journey, from early childhood to advocating for transgender rights, showcases her resilience and the challenges faced by transgender children in society.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Jazz is an 11-year-old transgender girl who was born biologically male but identifies as female.
- 🏡 Jazz's parents, Jeanette and Greg, supported her early transition from male to female, recognizing her gender dysphoria.
- 👧 Jazz is described as vibrant, happy, self-confident, and feminine, enjoying activities like soccer and cheerleading.
- 👗 Jazz's bedroom is filled with girly items, including dresses and dolls, reflecting her true identity.
- 🎨 A drawing by Jazz of a little girl crying because she wants to wear a dress to school but can't, illustrates her early struggle with her identity.
- 🌈 Jazz's family, including her three siblings, are supportive and protective, helping her navigate the challenges of being transgender.
- 💬 Jazz has faced negative reactions and threats from people who do not understand or accept her transgender identity.
- 🏫 Jazz has been allowed to attend school and participate in activities as a girl, including playing on the girls' soccer team, after a legal battle.
- 🏆 Jazz is an advocate for transgender rights, receiving awards and recognition for her bravery and visibility.
- 💔 Jazz is aware of the potential challenges in dating and relationships due to her transgender identity, but remains hopeful and resilient.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the video script about Jazz?
-The main theme of the video script is about Jazz, an 11-year-old transgender girl, and her journey of self-acceptance, family support, and advocacy for transgender rights.
How does Jazz describe herself in terms of gender identity?
-Jazz describes herself as a girl, stating that she has a 'girl brain' and a 'boy body,' and she considers herself a girl.
At what age did Jazz's parents allow her to openly identify as a girl?
-Jazz's parents allowed her to openly identify as a girl at the age of five.
What is the term used to describe Jazz's condition?
-Jazz's condition is referred to as 'gender dysphoria.'
What does Jazz's drawing of a crying little girl represent?
-Jazz's drawing of a crying little girl represents her desire to wear a dress to school, which her mother initially wouldn't allow, symbolizing her struggle with gender identity.
How does Jazz feel about her sister referring to her transgender status as a 'disorder'?
-Jazz does not like the term 'disorder' and prefers words like 'special' or 'unique' to describe being transgender.
What challenges has Jazz faced from others due to her transgender status?
-Jazz has faced negative reactions, including being treated differently and receiving hateful comments, including threats, from people who do not understand or accept her transgender identity.
How did Jazz's family react to her being transgender?
-Jazz's family, including her parents and three siblings, are supportive and accepting of her, trying to make her life as normal as possible.
What impact did Jazz's YouTube video have on her?
-Sharing her story on YouTube led to Jazz receiving both support and negative comments, with some people making very nasty and rude remarks, which hurt her.
What legal battle did Jazz have to fight to play soccer as a girl?
-Jazz had to fight a legal battle for two and a half years to win the right to play on a girls' soccer team, after being initially banned by league officials due to her biological sex.
What is Jazz's perspective on dating and potential rejection by boys?
-Jazz is open about being attracted to boys and acknowledges that she might face rejection due to her transgender status, but she believes that anyone who declines her because of it is not right for her.
Outlines
🌟 Triumph Over Gender Dysphoria: Jazz's Remarkable Journey
This paragraph introduces Jazz, an 11-year-old transgender girl who has courageously embraced her identity despite being born in a male body. Jazz's story is one of resilience and acceptance, as she and her family navigate the complexities of gender dysphoria. At a young age, Jazz's parents, Jeanette and Greg, made the pivotal decision to support her transition, recognizing it as a deep-seated condition rather than a fleeting phase. Jazz's bedroom, adorned with feminine items and a poignant drawing of a girl yearning to wear a dress, underscores her unwavering identity. The narrative also touches on the challenges Jazz faces, such as societal misunderstanding and the legal battle she won to play soccer as a girl, marking a significant step forward for transgender rights.
🚀 Jazz's Advocacy and the Challenges of Growing Up Transgender
The second paragraph delves into the repercussions Jazz faces for publicly sharing her story, including the hateful comments and threats she receives on social media platforms like YouTube. Despite these adversities, Jazz continues to advocate for transgender rights, using her platform to educate and raise awareness. The paragraph also highlights her achievements, such as receiving awards and meeting celebrities who support her cause. As Jazz enters middle school, she faces the typical challenges of adolescence, including the complexities of dating and the fear of rejection due to her transgender identity. However, Jazz remains optimistic, knowing that anyone who cannot accept her for who she is may not be the right match for her.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Remarkable
💡Transgender
💡Gender Dysphoria
💡Early Transition
💡Mermaids
💡Acceptance
💡Advocacy
💡Legal Battle
💡Discrimination
💡Support System
💡Self-Confidence
Highlights
Jazz, an 11-year-old transgender girl, has courageously brought her 'terrible secret' into the open, representing children born in the wrong body.
Described as vibrant, happy, and full of life, Jazz exhibits self-confidence and a strong feminine identity despite her biological sex.
Jazz's parents, Jeanette and Greg, made the extraordinary decision to allow her to openly identify as female at the age of five due to gender dysphoria.
Jazz's early transition is one of the youngest documented cases, challenging the notion that it is merely a phase.
Jazz's bedroom is filled with girly items, indicating her persistent desire to live as a girl, not just a passing fad.
A picture Jazz drew as a child shows her longing to wear a dress, which her mother now allows, reflecting her family's support.
Jazz's interests, such as cheerleading, girls' soccer, and creating mermaid outfits, are all traditionally feminine, further emphasizing her identity.
The ambiguous genitalia of mermaids may appeal to young transgender children who are uncomfortable with their own anatomy.
Despite growing awareness, Jazz and others like her still face significant obstacles and prejudice from society.
Jazz experiences discrimination and misunderstanding from people who do not grasp the concept of being transgender.
Jazz's family, including her three siblings, are supportive and protective, helping to maintain a sense of normalcy.
Jazz's sister explains her condition to others, though Jazz prefers the terms 'special' or 'unique' over 'disorder'.
Jazz and her family have faced online harassment and threats after sharing her story on YouTube.
Jazz's parents lobbied for her to be enrolled in school as a girl, and her passport also identifies her as female.
Jazz was initially banned from girls' soccer due to her biological sex but fought back and won the right to play after a legal battle.
Jazz's victory to play soccer as a girl set a precedent for all transgender children, opening doors for them in sports.
Jazz is an advocate for transgender rights, receiving awards and recognition, and serving as a spokesperson for trans kids.
Jazz is navigating the complexities of adolescence, including the prospect of dating and relationships with boys.
Jazz remains optimistic about finding acceptance and love, showing resilience in the face of potential rejection.
Transcripts
good evening they are the words that any
parent would want to hear about their
daughter
she is such a remarkable little girl for
a girl named jazz
the word remarkable doesn't begin to
cover it
at just 11 years old she has taken what
most children and their families
would regard as a terrible secret and
brought it smashing
into the open she is the brave and
beautiful
new face of a child born in the wrong
body
describe jazz vibrant
happy full of life self-confident
beautiful glowing feminine
so feminine she wears pink cleats on the
soccer field
she likes my new bra and padded bras she
not only dreams of mermaids
she swims like one if you didn't know it
would you believe
this 11 year old girl was biologically
a boy let's get this straight jazz are
you a boy
or a girl i am definitely a girl
like that's all i consider myself as i'm
sorry i know i never do anything with my
hair but
jazz is transgender a boy living as a
girl
i have a girl brain and a boy body hi
when we first met jaya's in 2007 she was
only six years old
and one of the youngest documented cases
of an
early transition from male to female
we'll say things like god made you
special because there aren't very many
little girls out there that have a penis
at age five her parents jeanette and
greg
made an extraordinary decision they
allowed jazz to
openly identify in the opposite gender
because they and their doctor were
convinced this was not a phase
but a condition now called gender
dysphoria
a phase is called the phase because it
is just that it
ends and this is not ending this is just
getting stronger
as difficult as it is for people to
understand
you only had to walk into jazz's bedroom
as i did
oh how pretty to know this was not a
passing fad
it was filled with girly things dresses
and dolls
but it was a picture she drew that made
jazz's world
crystal clear tell me about this picture
why is
the little girl crying because she wants
to wear the dress to school
and mommy won't let her yeah but now
does mommy
let the little girl wear a dress
is the little girl you
five years later jazz is still jazz
has jazz shown any desire to change and
go back to being a boy
never today jazz's bedroom is lined with
photos from cheerleading
and girls soccer she draws and sews
carefully seaming together her own
mermaid outfits
it's like the motion makes you feel like
you're an actual mermaid
in fact many young male to female trans
kids are obsessed with mermaids
i believe because the ambiguous
genitalia there's nothing below the
waist but a tail
and how appealing is that for somebody
who doesn't like what's down there no
one knows why thousands of children like
jazz
are transgender they're only theories
mom is that a mermaid
despite growing awareness many still
face unthinkable
obstacles from a world that sees them as
freaks of nature
do people treat you differently when
they know you're transgender
yes they do they don't understand what
the concept means and
they think that i'm weird and that
i shouldn't have the same rights as them
just because
of what's between my legs you know that
there are people who think you could
have prevented it
why did you allow it to happen yeah
there's people definitely think that
and what do you say i don't really care
what they think
jazz is fortunate her parents and three
siblings accept her
and as much as they can keep us safe
which is why they asked us not to use
their last name or location
i think the family is very supportive of
jazz we've tried to
make things as normal and ordinary
american family as we can
the older twins are always looking out
for jazz
ari the older sister and her friends
hang out with jazz they treat
jazz like a little sister what do you
explain to people about your sister
i tell people that it's a disorder and
that
it wasn't it's not by choice how do you
feel jazz when your sister says it's a
disorder um
personally i don't like that word that
um that much i'd prefer
special or unique because that's what i
think being transgender is
but others have different words to
describe jazz
hateful words as they discovered after
posting this video on youtube
hi i'm jess i'm 11 years old i was born
a boy
but i live as a girl sharing jazza's
story has come
at a price are you ever worried about
your safety i mean does anybody
threaten you yeah um on the youtube
video some people who are
less understanding actually say very
nasty and rude comments
it definitely hurts to hear them say
that
they would want to kill me or something
like that they can't wrap their mind
around
the idea of a transgender kid and i want
to tell everybody they're wrong and show
them jazz because when people meet her
they start to get it one go
jazz has a handful of girlfriends
they've all started middle school
a challenging and precarious time but
especially
for a transgender tween she's enrolled
in school as a girl
thanks to her parents lobbying and her
passport even shows her
as female the faculty and some students
know about her
special situation she uses the girl's
bathroom
and even plays on the girls soccer team
you love to play soccer
yeah and you're pretty good at it right
yeah yeah
but at the age of eight she was banned
from girls soccer by league officials
what do you say to people who say well
you know she's biologically a boy
therefore she's stronger and she
shouldn't be on that team
i do not agree with him because i am
like one of the smallest people on my
team compared to the other girls they're
all
very tall and more masculine and i'm
sort of smaller but
i am quicker jazz fought back
and after a two and a half year legal
battle won the right
to play as a girl
an unprecedented victory that opened the
door for all
transgender kids jazz is clearly making
a difference
and embracing the spotlight advocating
for transgender rights
receiving awards housing on the red
carpet
meeting stars like deborah messing and
riding in new york's
gay pride parade she's a wonderful
spokesperson
for trans kids because she's a happy
transgender kid and those two words are
never in the same sentence
happy but perplexed by her latest new
challenge
you are getting to the age jazz
when girls and boys date are you
attracted to girls or to boys
i'm attracted to boys are you afraid
that you might
not have dates with boys i am a little
bit
but if any of the boys decline me
because of my situation then i just know
they're not right for me at all
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