Read when you’ve got time to spare.
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Jazz Jennings has been in the spotlight most of her life, from an early 20/20 appearance with Barbara Walters to her eponymous reality show, I Am Jazz, now in its 8th season on TLC. Becoming a public figure at a young age is not always an easy road, but Jazz has flourished, while also laying the groundwork for trans kids inspired by her story. She co-wrote the widely read and adored children’s book I Am Jazz, started a foundation that funds research and support for trans youth, and has served as the Grand Marshal in the New York City Pride March.
Here, Jazz lets us in on a few of the places she finds joy online, from roller coaster YouTube to Drag Race Reddit.
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Jazz Jennings: “RuPaul’s Drag Race is one of my favorite TV shows, and I love surfing the Reddit to get the latest tea on all the queens. I especially love looking at the fashionable creations they wear, as well as the queens’ iconic performances. Whether it be lip-sync battles, shining moments in the Rusical, or legendary Snatch Game performances, Reddit has all there is to know about these talented artists.”
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JJ: “I am a huge roller coaster fanatic and sometimes watch videos on YouTube featuring these incredible rides. Watching these videos can be very relaxing for me, but riding coasters in real life is a completely different experience. Before going to theme parks, I love to watch front row POV videos of all the rides I plan to go on. The more intense the ride, the more thrilled I am to go on it. The tallest and fastest coaster I’ve ever been on was Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion, which is 305 ft tall (hence the name) and goes 90 mph. It was an incredibly intense ride, but I hope to go on the tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, one day.”
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JJ: “Another thing I do to relax sometimes is watch chiropractic videos. The satisfying sound of necks and backs cracking is very therapeutic to watch and listen to. It must be some form of ASMR. I specifically like watching Dr. Tyler Bigenho. He has over 400k followers on YouTube and is an expert chiropractor. It’s cool to watch him in his craft. Maybe I’ll go visit his office someday to relieve my lower back pain. Either way, it is very soothing to watch patients get so much relief from his treatment.”
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JJ: “Continuing on the theme of drag race and drag queens, WOWPresents is a YouTube channel that serves all the content. Specifically, I love watching drag race legends Raja and Raven on their hit series Fashion Photo Ruview. On the show, Raja and Raven rate the queens based on their runway looks. A ‘Toot’ means a look is successful, while a ‘Boot’ is designated to looks that are subpar. Overall, the channel has tons of fun content, and I love watching the queens in any format.”
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JJ: “The last website I love is also a YouTube channel. NBC Sports provides great footage on a variety of sports. I primarily watch soccer highlights on the channel. I grew up playing soccer for 11 years and enjoy watching the pros. I’m also a really big fan of gymnastics. Simone Biles is my favorite athlete of all time, and I love watching her dominate the sport.”
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Jazz Jennings, star of the award winning TLC series, "I Am Jazz," is a 22 year-old LGBTQ rights activist and author. Jazz is no stranger to discrimination and has been BREAKING BARRIERS for most of her life—she is one of the youngest publicly documented people to be identified as transgender, and the youngest person to become a national transgender figure. Jazz wasn't allowed to use the girls' restroom in her elementary school for five years and was prohibited from playing girls' soccer in her state for 2 ½ years. After a long battle, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) ordered her home state to lift the ban. As a result, the USSF created a policy to include all transgender athletes who want to play soccer in the United States of America.
Jazz has accumulated numerous prestigious awards, honors and recognitions throughout her lifetime, including TIME Magazine's Most Influential Teens (2014 and 2015). Jazz served as the 2016 Grand Marshal in the New York City Pride March. She is the youngest person to serve as Grand Marshal in the history of the march. In 2021, The Smithsonian museum in Washington DC opened an exhibit called “Girlhood… It’s complicated” which features an exhibit of Jazz, making her the first transgender girl to be featured as a historical figure. Jazz is currently a Sophomore at Harvard University.