Jazz Jennings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jazz Jennings
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Jazz Jennings at the New York City Pride parade in 2016
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| Born | October 6, 2000 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
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| Education | Harvard University (currently attending) |
| Occupation | Student and television personality |
| Years active | c. 2006–present |
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Jazz Jennings (born October 6, 2000) is an American YouTube personality, television star, and activist for LGBT rights. She is one of the youngest people to publicly share her story of being transgender.
Jazz became well-known across the country in 2007 after an interview with Barbara Walters on the TV show 20/20. This led to many other interviews and TV appearances. Her parents have said that Jazz knew she was a girl from the time she could talk.
Jazz is a co-founder of the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation. Her parents started this organization in 2007 to help young transgender people. In 2013, she also started a company called Purple Rainbow Tails, where she makes and sells mermaid tails to raise money for transgender kids. She also stars in the reality TV show I Am Jazz on the TLC network, which shows her life with her family.
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Early Life and School
Jazz was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, to her parents, Gregory and Jeanette. She is the youngest of four children and has an older sister and two older twin brothers.
When Jazz was born, doctors identified her as a boy. However, from a very young age, she knew she was a girl. Her mother said she loved "everything sparkly and pink." At age four, she was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, which is when a person feels that the gender they were assigned at birth does not match who they truly are. At her fifth birthday party, she told her friends and family that she was a girl.
When she was six, Jazz shared her story on national television. To protect her family's privacy, they used the last name "Jennings." While her family was very supportive, she sometimes faced challenges. In elementary school, she was not allowed to play on the girls' soccer team and was bullied by other students.
At age 11, Jazz began taking special medicine called puberty blockers. This medicine paused the changes that happen during puberty, giving her more time to understand her identity. Later, she began feminizing hormone therapy to help her body develop in a way that matched her gender identity. In 2018, at age 17, she had gender-affirming surgery.
In 2019, Jazz graduated from an online high school as the valedictorian, or the student with the highest grades. She was accepted to Harvard University but chose to wait a year before starting. She said she needed time to focus on her well-being.
Career and Activism
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When she was just six years old, Jazz and her family started appearing on TV to talk about what it's like to grow up as a transgender person. Her story was featured on shows like 20/20 and The Rosie Show.
Helping Others
In 2007, Jazz's parents started the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation to support transgender youth, and Jazz is an honorary co-founder. In 2011, a documentary about her family called I Am Jazz: A Family in Transition was shown on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
In 2013, Jazz fought a long battle with the United States Soccer Federation to be allowed to play on girls' soccer teams. With help from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, she was successful. This changed the rules to allow other transgender students to play on teams that match their gender identity.
Books and Television
In 2014, Jazz co-wrote a children's book called I Am Jazz with Jessica Herthel. The book tells her story of being a transgender child and has become an important resource for many families.
The same year, Time magazine named her one of "The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014." She also received awards from organizations like LogoTV and the Human Rights Campaign.
In 2015, Jazz became a model for Clean & Clear's "See The Real Me" campaign, where she shared her story. The reality show about her life, I Am Jazz, also began in 2015 on TLC. In 2016, she published a book about her teenage years called Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen.
More Recent Work
In 2017, a doll was created that was modeled after Jazz, becoming the first doll to be marketed as transgender. She also voiced a transgender character named Zadie in the animated show Danger & Eggs.
In 2019, Jazz appeared on the TV show What Would You Do? and voiced a character named Lily the Fairy in the animated series The Bravest Knight.
Personal Life
Jazz has been open about her personal challenges to help others. In 2018, she shared that she had lost weight to prepare for her gender confirmation surgery. The surgery was successful, but she had some health issues afterward that required another procedure.
Jazz has also spoken about her struggles with binge eating disorder. She explained that after being accepted to Harvard, she gained nearly 100 pounds, which was why she decided to delay college for a year. In June 2025, Jazz shared that she had lost 100 pounds over two years.
See also
In Spanish: Jazz Jennings para niños
