Jazz Jennings
She became a defining public face for transgender youth in America by sharing her journey with disarming honesty on national television.
Born 2000 (age 26)·American internet personality·Birthday: October 6·Generation Z
Biography
Jazz Jennings entered the public consciousness not by choice, but through the simple act of being herself at a time when few like her were visible. As a child in South Florida, her family's decision to speak openly with Barbara Walters in 2007 about her identity as a young transgender girl created a seismic shift in the national conversation. That interview, marked by her youthful clarity, launched a life in the spotlight that she would shape into a platform. She co-wrote a children's book, starred in the groundbreaking TLC reality series 'I Am Jazz,' and became a vocal advocate, turning her personal milestones and struggles into public touchstones for understanding. Her journey, documented through adolescence and into adulthood, has provided a relatable, humanizing narrative for a generation grappling with gender identity, making her one of the most influential LGBTQ+ voices of her time.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Jazz was born in 2000, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jazz Was Born
The biggest hits of 2000
#1 Movie
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Best Picture
Gladiator
#1 TV Show
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Jazz's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2000Born
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2005Started school
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2013Became a teenager
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2016Could drive
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2018Could vote
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2021Turned 21
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 26 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became one of the youngest publicly documented transgender individuals after a landmark 2007 interview on ABC's '20/20'.
- Starred in the long-running TLC documentary series 'I Am Jazz,' which chronicled her life from age 14 onward.
- Co-authored the picture book 'I Am Jazz' to help explain transgender identity to young children.
- Was named to Time magazine's list of 'Most Influential Teens' in both 2014 and 2015.
Did You Know?
She is an accomplished youth soccer player and played on her high school's girls' team.
Jazz has a passion for mermaids and has been photographed in professional mermaid tails.
She is the youngest person ever to receive a National Voices Award from the Human Rights Campaign.
Her name was inspired by the jazz music her parents listened to during her mother's pregnancy.
“I'm not a boy; I'm a girl trapped in a boy's body.”
