# data[].attributes.body
Jennings, Jazz. Being Jazz My Life As A (Transgender) Teen. Publisher is Random House Children's Books. Publication on 06/07/2016.

# data[].attributes.body
When Jazz was younger, she would take baths with her siblings. She felt frustrated with her body parts. Every time she compared genitals with her brothers and sister, she felt like grabbing a sponge and wiping it off so it would turn into a female genital. Jazz felt angry with it being there, "I remember feeling frustrated and confused more than anything else" (page 5).

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz was allowed to wear whatever she wanted around the house, which included dresses and skirts. When she wanted to go out in public wearing a dress, her parents refused. They instead styled her in shorts styled for little boys. This made Jazz really upset, she absolutely did not like dressing up in boy clothes. Jazz felt ashamed whenever her parents made her dress up this way, "Imagine a young boy who is super into trucks and cars...[I]magine that every time his parents take him out in public, they parade him with a pink frilly dress with a parasol. The humiliation he'd feel is the same humiliation I felt" (page 6)

# data[].attributes.body
Her parents began to worry, Jazz turned 3 and still has an obsession with girly things. Her mother started going through a book named Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This book is frequently updated but back then it listed being gay a "disorder", as well as a disorder named gender identity disorder. Her mother was sure that Jazz had this disorder and soon enough Jazz had an appointment to see Dr. Marilyn. After Jazz telling Dr. Marilyn that she had a penis but wanted a vagina, Dr. Marilyn told her mother that she is transgender. Jazz felt relieved by this new word, "finally a word that described me---a girl who had accidentally been born into a boy's body" (page 11).

# data[].attributes.body
Her parents finally made the decision to let Jazz socially transition into being a girl, such as changing her pronouns, letting her wear dresses and public, etc. The school was informed about this but was really strict on Jazz, she would get in trouble for having attach on colored hair clips in her hair but the other girls wouldn't. After an accident happened at recess, Jazz was wrongfully blamed and word got out quickly to parents that Jazz is transgender. Her mother started hearing rumors that what she was allowing was wrong, "They were gossiping that she was forcing me to believe I was a girl, when in reality it was the complete opposite" (page 24).

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz's mother attended the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference. Since at the time no one really knew much about transgenders, or even raising a kid who is transgender, she was added to a panel. Her mother was bombarded with a ton of questions, "She talked to everyone about what she and Dad were currently working on--the process of enrolling me in kindergarten as a girl" (page 33)

# data[].attributes.body
A year passed and Jazz got invited to attend another conference at the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference. This was a first for Jazz, having to speak in front of a big audience. Jazz made a friend there and as she heard her mother say her name she ran to her. Her mother asked if she wanted to say hello, so she did. Jazz spoke out and then was asked a question:"'Do you want to tell everyone how you feel about being a girl?'" Jazz then answered, "'I'm happy. I love who I am! Can I go play with Stephanie now?'" (page 39).

# data[].attributes.body
When Jazz's parents went to go enroll her as a female, the principal did not allow it. They tried setting up meetings and calling the principal but she would just brush them off. Until her mother reached her limit and got a little media coverage on this with a journalist, using fake names and such so the school wouldn't be harmed. The principal saw this and allowed Jazz to enroll as a female but would not be persuaded to let Jazz use the girls restrooms. The principal let Jazz have other options, "[She] could use a unisex bathroom in the classroom, where everyone could hear [her] pee...[Or use] the bathroom in the nurse's office"
(page 35).

# data[].attributes.body
Barbara Walters had been persisted the family to appear on 20/20 for an interview but for 10 months their answer was always no. They were worried for their safety and wanted to protect Jazz but they soon changed their mind and appeared on 20/20. They wanted more media coverage on transgender kids because no one knew much about trans people. After appearing on 20/20, their interview helped a lot of families out who were dealing with their same situation, "Mom and Dad started getting tons of thank-you letters from parents of transgender kids...we managed to achieve the original goals of both educating people and sending out a message of comfort and normalcy" (page 46)

# data[].attributes.body
Her parents kept getting interview requests and even from big stars like Dr.Phil, Tyra Banks, and Oprah Winfrey. They said no to all of them except one interview request that came from Australia.  They thought this would be a good chance to try and educate a whole continent on transgender people. After the 20/20 interview, her family received a lot of letters, most saying how they're transgender and have had a rough life trying to transition. After the interview, she started speaking at different type of panels, like at Transcon in Florida. She met all different kinds of people but one particular person stood out to her. Her name was Rajee and she had a terrible past simply because she was transgender. When Jazz heard her story, she finally realized how lucky she is, "It was another reminder of how lucky I was to have the family I do" (page 70).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20:20  My Secret Self Complete Documentary

# data[].attributes.body
Growing up, Jazz loved kicking a ball around with her twin brothers. She loved playing soccer so her parents got her to join a recreational team. Since anyone could join this team, no one said anything about her being transgender. Issues started to rise when she join a travel team. At first she was registered as a female and was playing in a lot of games, no problem whatsoever, until the soccer board found out. They didn't let her join any girl's team simply because she is transgender, "I was a girl, and I wanted to play on a soccer team with girls. What was so difficult to understand about that?" (page 54). Jazz continued to play in recreational teams. Fast forward and they try to talk to the USSF about the situation and had to ban removed, they also made a new law for all states to follow in which transgender can play in their preferred team.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transgender track stars speak out as critics allege unfair advantage

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz went for her annual check up and discovered something surprising, her puberty was about to start. She was only 11 at the time so it came earlier than her brothers who started at 13. The doctor knew she was transgender so asked if she wanted to start puberty blockers, in which she said yes to. She had two options to choose from, get injected with Lupron in her butt, or have something embedded into her arm that will pump out medicine every once in a while. She chose to go with the second option.

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz attended this camp called "Aranu'tiq" which was a camp for gender noncomforming and transgender children. During her time there she met two best friends, Tia, and Melinda. Jazz got a new bunkmate in the cabin and apparently the new person didn't know why he was sent to the camp by his mom, until Jazz explained what kind of camp it was. The new person finally figured it out and said that she also feels like a girl inside and now went by the name "Remy." After having so much fun at this camp, she realized how beautiful it is that there was zero judgment there, and everyone could be themselves.

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz started to feel like nothing mattered anymore. All the girls started developing breasts and Jazz felt like she was being left behind by everyone. She would often bang her head on the wall and feel frustrated with herself. She had always dreamed of having breasts like every other girl when she was younger. Her mother started seeing her symptoms and took action. She got prescribed anti-depressants but they were no use. Until she finally received her first dose of estrogen, she felt happier. This also changed because they increased the dosage to her anti-depressants. She finally was starting grow breasts, not big ones, but they were still breasts, on a girl's body.

# data[].attributes.body
Entering a new school was not nerve racking for Jazz, she immediately made new friends and had a big group of friends, she was popular. Her friend group decided to go skating with a bunch of boys and a boy named Jason was interested in Jazz. Later that day, they start texting and Jason finds out she's transgender. Jason then ghosts her at school and the whole friend group (except for a couple girls) also ignored her. They were saying things behind her back like "chick with a ****," also talking about how if they dated her, they would be gay. Jazz was upset hearing this but she told herself that her identity is a part of her and if someone does not like the idea of her being transgender, then they're definitely not right for her.

# data[].attributes.body
Since she was younger, Jazz was always obsessed with mermaids. A lot of transgender kids are obsessed with this mythical creature because they don't seem to have a genital, Jazz was one of those kids. She joined a community full of adults who had an obsession with mermaids as well, many of which made their own mermaid tails. Jazz wanted to create a mermaid tail for herself and got a lot of good tips from these people. When she finished her project, she went to go test it out and was happy with the results.

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz had many projects to work on, which including writing a children's book to educate young kids about transgender people. She struggled at first because there was a lot she wanted to say but couldn't fit it in simple small sentences for little children to understand. Once she finished and the book was published, they set up a group reading at an elementary school. This backfired because a right-wing organization scared the administration into cancelling the event because the book talked about "psychological and moral disorder." Even though they cancelled the event, they made another event but taking place in a local library. A huge crowd consisting of 600 people showed up.

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz was invited to attend a big ceremonial award show, that man celebrities attend. This award show represents LGBT people in a positive way through media. In her speech, she had to make it short and quick. She spoke proudly telling everyone that she feels amazing representing LGBT kids and teens, she told them that it's okay to step out of the shadow and be who they want to be.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 year old transgender girl Jazz Speaks at the GLAAD Media Awards

# data[].attributes.body
When Jazz attended the GLAAD Media Awards, she was excited because got to meet her role model, Laverne Cox, a transgender actress who is actively vocal about transgender rights. For Jazz, meeting other celebrities wasn't that big of a deal because she thought they were all human too, but this particular interaction made her really happy.

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz decided that she needs more exercise because soccer wasn't cutting it. She signed up for tennis and once again it was the soccer situation all over again. She made a good impression on the coach but she still wasn't allowed to play on the girls team. She had to go through the same discrimination she faced when she tried playing on an all girl's soccer team.

# data[].attributes.body
Jazz and her parents have been in charge of a charity named TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation. They had gotten a letter along with a big donation. When they read this letter their hearts sank. The senders were a family who also had a transgender kid. She suffered bullying and abuse at school but kept quiet about it. Her family noticed that she had been down and her doctor prescribed anti-depressants, however, these didn't work. Angeline, the child's name, was starting to go through puberty because her doctor didn't want to prescribe her with puberty blockers, which lead to even more bullying. She decided that suicide was the only option, so she hung herself in her parents garage. She left a note saying that she doesn't want anyone to feel like suicide is their only option, so she wanted her parents to donate her savings of a couple thousand dollars to Jazz's foundation. Jazz felt frustrated with herself because she knew it wasn't her fault but knowing that Angeline had been keeping up with her, it wasn't enough to change her mind.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why is the trans suicide rate so high? | Riley J. Dennis

# data[].attributes.body
As more representation of transgender people appeared throughout the years, more people come out and finally discover who they are.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TRANSGENDER COMING OUT (LIVE) - University Presentation