We absolutely can’t wait to see trans teen Jazz Jennings’ new reality show
2015 has been a pretty good year for the LGBT community. Gay marriage is now legal in all 50 states, trans figures like Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner are dominating pop culture, and now trans teens like Jazz Jennings are getting their own turn in the spotlight to tell their story. I Am Jazz follows 14-year-old Jazz Jennings, a trans high school student living a normal life, but giving us a glimpse of the challenges that come with being a trans teen in a society that is only just starting to accept it.
The show, which premieres this summer on TLC, released a teaser trailer that has us all super excited for what’s to come. Jazz, who was assigned male at birth, quickly identified as a girl. She had the support of both parents and doctors, and was able to get the hormones and treatments she needed to make the transition to her true self. But that’s only half the battle. Now, Jazz must navigate puberty as a teenager girl, a struggle we all know to be all too real. She has to handle dating, sleepovers and friendship, all with the added burden of a past that some people find uncomfortable.
What I love about this show is that it’s here to give audiences a side of the story that we rarely get. It accepts Jazz as her true self right away, and instead of treating her like an oddity, it works to normalize her struggle to same issues we have every day. Except, of course, with struggles underneath that many of us don’t have to think about it. It allows audiences to be sympathetic while also accepting of her lifestyle.
The show airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c. Set your DVR — I’m already hooked.
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