I think I first wrote about Jazz in 2011. She was 11 then. She had first made a name for herself when she was 7. I wrote another piece, Born this way? about her and transkids in general in 2013.
Jazz is in the news again. She has co-authored a children's book, entitled I am Jazz with Jessica Herthel, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas.
The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere
This is an essential tool for parents and teachers to share with children whether those kids identify as trans or not. I wish I had had a book like this when I was a kid struggling with gender identity questions. I found it deeply moving in its simplicity and honesty.
—Laverne Cox (who plays Sophia in “Orange Is the New Black”)
From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boys' clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz's story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers.
--Amazon
The philosophy of the book is just to start a conversation with very young kids in very simple terms so that transgender isn't scary and it's not complicated.
--Jessica Herthel
Jazz read excerpts from the book recently at Care Resource.
It's gonna make a big difference. Because in my day, there was none of this.
--Rajee Narinesingh, transgender adult
Jazz is an inspiration. She's a pioneer. She's going to break many, many barriers.
--Justine April, transgender adult
The book is available from pre-order now, and will be available from DIal Books for Young Readers (Penguin Books USA), a division of Random House, on September 4.
It's the first of its kind. There's never been a little kid coming out and saying, 'Hey, I'm transgender and it's okay.'
--Jazz' mother, Jeanette
Jeanette seems to be falling behind the times, though.
The New York City Pride March is today and features something not seen before. The Ackerman Institute's Gender and Family Project, which offers support services for families of transgender and gender nonconforming children, is expecting a group of 150 to march under the banner Pride is for Kids, Too.
GFP and the participating families very much hope that such a positive demonstration of pride and support for gender nonconforming children and transgender adolescents will inspire other families to provide the supportive and caring environment these children need to live happy lives.
--Jean Malpas, director of the Gender and Family Project
There is video here.
We're definitely in the middle of a gender revolution and it's exciting.
We've come long way in a relatively short time, but the flip side is people are still being killed for being transgender. We still have a long way to go.
--Johanna Olson, medical director of the Transyouth Health and Development Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles
The highest degree of acceptance is celebration, not that I just tolerate or accept you, but that I celebrate and embrace you.
There is value in saying it publicly. It's saying to your child I will go out and I will publicly show the world that I really celebrate you and I really love who you are and I'm not ashamed.
--Malpas
You can suppress and oppress your child's authentic gender so you don't have to worry about what strangers think, but then you will have a very anxious child who will be at a high risk for very negative outcomes.
We should help children learn resiliency and to be confident and proud of who they are.
--Olson
Some people will think it is wrong for parents to make their kids do this, but it's not the parents who are making the decision to march.
Enrique Perez' daughter came out as transgender at the age of 5 in December 2012. The family moved to New York in 2013. At first they only told school officials and very close friends about their daughter's transition.
But word about their daughter's condition spread anyway.
After all, this is a girl who told a boy in her first week at a new school in a new country that she was "born a boy but always felt like a girl," her father recalled.
"We were surprised that she was the one spreading the word," he said. "But, as I see it, that's who she is and I'm glad to think she fully accepts what she's going through."
There was no way that girl was going to miss the chance to march in this parade.