4 Quotes From The Most Confident Transgender Teen I Know Of
The below are quotes from the Penguin Books release "I Am Jazz" (available Sept. 4, 2014) about teenager Jazz Jennings' childhood in realizing her truth.
1.
"At first my family was confused. They’d always thought
of me as a boy. As I got a little older, I hardly ever played with trucks or tools or
superheroes. Only princesses and mermaid costumes.
My brothers told me this was girl stuff. I kept right on playing.
My sister says I was always talking to her about my
girl thoughts, and my girl dreams, and how one day
I would be a beauuuutiful lady.
She would giggle and say, “You’re a funny kid.”
2.
"...Then one amazing day, everything changed. Mom and Dad
took me to meet a new doctor who asked me lots and lots of
questions. Afterward, the doctor spoke to my parents and I
heard the word “transgender” for the very first time.
That night at bedtime, my parents both hugged me and said, “We
understand now. Be who you are. We love you no matter what.”
This made me smile and smile and smile."
3.
"Even today, there are kids who tease me, or call
me by a boy name, or ignore me altogether. This
makes me feel crummy.
Then I remember that the kids who get to know
me usually want to be my friend. They say I’m
one of the nicest girls at school."
4.
"I don’t mind being different. Different is special! I think
what matters most is what a person is like inside.
And inside, I am happy. I am having fun. I am proud!
I am Jazz!"