I am jazz ?

[Dawnlight]

I have not watched the show but I find it odd that the parents would do this to a 14 year old.

No one is "doing" anything to this girl; she is involved herself and wants to spread awareness.

If I remember correctly you are a teacher. How will you handle things if you have a child like Jazz in your classroom? Maybe the show will be enlightening to you.

I haven't see the show just previews. I don;t think it looks horrible. If this girl can touch one other young person life. Then this show is worth it.

She's already touched one life, of that I'm sure. I have an acquaintance with a child that's transgender (also male to female). She blogs about her experience very openly, with consent from her child, and she's posted that her daughter is thrilled to have a role model like Jazz to look up to.

 

[Ceila]

My daughter and I watch the show and really like it. Knowing how active Jazz is in promoting acceptance, I have no doubt that she was a full partner in the decision-making process when it came to making the show. She strikes me as a an incredibly strong, caring person.

I love how protective her big brothers are of her, and when her sister said she would one day surrogate for her, well, I got a little teary. The mom is, well, a mom, and she worries. They're in a relatively unexplored territory, as not many people have transitioned at that age, and none have been as public about it as Jazz has. I'd chalk her comments up to being either a worry-wort mom or as intentionally representing, on the show, the problems and challenges that Jazz and others transitioning kids like her face.

OP, you still haven't answered a previous question. Do you dislike how the parents are allowing her to have a show on TV, or that they are allowing her to transition, or both?

 

[ronandannette]

I don't know. I have only seen one episode and I thought Jazz seemed like a nice enough kid, but I thought the mother was creating drama where there might not be any. (I'm not sure how much of that is the mom, and how much is the producers.)

The episode I saw was about a teen outing to the bowling alley. Boys were invited but not many came. I thought Jazz had very normal emotions around that: Did they not come because I'm transgender? Or did they not come because they think I'm ugly... or weird. Or did they not come just because they didn't want to go bowling? Jazz and her friend even asked one boy who was there outright if the other boys stayed away because Jazz is transgender. That boy rattled off a list of boys and their reasons for not coming. Most of them seemed pretty valid (he's at baseball practice, etc.). There was one boy for whom the transgender thing seemed to be an issue, but the guy who was telling it made sure to say that this guy has a problem with anybody whom he even suspects to be gay, so it's definitely HIS issue, not Jazz's.

When Jazz got home the mother wanted to know all about it and kept harping on the the fact that few boys came and that it must be because Jazz is transgender. I believe her exact words to the camera was "No 14 year old boy wants to date a girl with a [male body part]." I can imagine it would be very hard to be a transgender teen, especially when it comes to boy-girl relationships. And it would be difficult to be the parent of a transgender teen and see them shunned/excluded (my daughter is often the odd-man out in social situations and it's tough to watch). However I thought the mom really whipped it into a mountain from a molehill. And I can only imagine that Jazz felt worse after talking to her mom rather than better.

Does it strike you as strange or "wrong" that there are boys, girls, men women, people, really, that would NOT be willing to entertain a romantic relationship with a transitioning transgendered person? That there are people that, aside from any moral positition, might find the condition viscerally unappealing or too confusing to harmonize with their own sexual identity?

 

[sk!mom]

has anyone watched the show I am jazz. I don't think it's a show that should be on tv since it's a very personal thing. and I don't agree with how the parent's are doing this.

I haven't watched it but I question your comments. Virtually every reality show is filled with what many would consider the oversharing of personal stuff.

Do you have issues with all reality TV? Or do you have issues with the transgender aspect?

I'm not sure how old Jazz is but I question any parent who allows a kid to participate in a reality show (Duggars, Kardashians, Duck Dynasty). It just seems that kids might not be able to make really informed decisions about the impact such a show will have on their life. Adults can decide that the cash is worth the loss of privacy. I'm not sure kids can.

 

[ronandannette]

I haven't watched it but I question your comments. Virtually every reality show is filled with what many would consider the oversharing of personal stuff.

Do you have issues with all reality TV? Or do you have issues with the transgender aspect?

I'm not sure how old Jazz is but I question any parent who allows a kid to participate in a reality show (Duggars, Kardashians, Duck Dynasty). It just seems that kids might not be able to make really informed decisions about the impact such a show will have on their life. Adults can decide that the cash is worth the loss of privacy. I'm not sure kids can.

Not sure if you're addressing me - I'm not the OP.

 

[sk!mom]

I have not watched the show but I find it odd that the parents would do this to a 14 year old.

If you haven't watched then how do you know that you're bothered?

Not sure if you're addressing me - I'm not the OP.

I was addressing the OP. Sorry, I'll go back and edit to make it clear.

 

[design_mom]

Does it strike you as strange or "wrong" that there are boys, girls, men women, people, really, that would NOT be willing to entertain a romantic relationship with a transitioning transgendered person? That there are people that, aside from any moral positition, might find the condition viscerally unappealing or too confusing to harmonize with their own sexual identity?

No. It doesn't surprise me or strike me as "wrong." In fact, I would imagine there are few people who would voluntarily choose that.

I can imagine that it would be difficult for the the transgender person to be rejected repeatedly and/or always wonder if that's the reason even if the person said it was for a different reason. I also imagine it would also be very difficult to be a parent and watch this happen to your child.

I know two transgender people, but in both cases they were already adults in long-term relationships when they decided to transition and both of their partners were supportive of their decisions. I am glad it's worked out for them.

 

[Ceila]

Does it strike you as strange or "wrong" that there are boys, girls, men women, people, really, that would NOT be willing to entertain a romantic relationship with a transitioning transgendered person? That there are people that, aside from any moral positition, might find the condition viscerally unappealing or too confusing to harmonize with their own sexual identity?

That's not what I took from the poster's comments at all. I think she was stating that, on the show, the boys who didn't attend had valid reasons for not coming. However, the mom still attributed some of that to Jazz being transgender. I don't think the PP was saying that boys would be wrong for feeling that way, just that the mom was seeing an issue that wasn't actually there at that time.

 

[design_mom]

That's not what I took from the poster's comments at all. I think she was stating that, on the show, the boys who didn't attend had valid reasons for not coming. However, the mom still attributed some of that to Jazz being transgender. I don't think the PP was saying that boys would be wrong for feeling that way, just that the mom was seeing an issue that wasn't actually there at that time.

Yes. That's exactly what I meant.

 

[bsblady01]

I just feel like they are putting her out there for the money and this will turn into another dugger type show

 

[Dawnlight]

I just feel like they are putting her out there for the money and this will turn into another dugger type show

Money may play a part, but so what? Money is not an evil; it's a necessity in this world. Maybe the money earned will go to Jazz's college fund; maybe some of it will be donated to groups that raise awareness and provide shelters to those in similar situations that don't have family support.

Do you object to all reality tv? How about shows like The Little Couple? They have their children on tv and are earning money as well.

 

[Ceila]

I just feel like they are putting her out there for the money and this will turn into another dugger type show

As many of us have pointed out, you have neither watched the show, nor had you done any research to learn about her background in activism.

Has your opinion changed at all based on the fact that she has clearly chosen to be in the public eye about being transgender, or are you still going to maintain your stance that they are no better than the Duggars? And are you opposed to all "reality" shows that involve children?

 

[msjprincess]

I just feel like they are putting her out there for the money and this will turn into another dugger type show

What are you basing that on, since you haven't even watched the show?

 

[bsblady01]

What are you basing that on, since you haven't even watched the show?

I just watched a clip on youtube and the mom is pushing her in the boy show

 

[Ceila]

I just watched a clip on youtube and the mom is pushing her in the boy show

Huh? Pushing her to do what? And what is a "boy show?" The bowling one??

 

[SirDuff]

I just watched a clip on youtube and the mom is pushing her in the boy show

Pushing her how? Just because there is one issue, in one clip, where the mom is pushing, it does not mean that the parents pushed her on to the show. Again, if you've read about Jazz and her family, you'd see that Jazz has been pushing to get her story out.

 

[bsblady01]

Huh? Pushing her to do what? And what is a "boy show?" The bowling one??

yes

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Danger, twisty turns ahead!

 

[Ceila]

yes

And what was the mom "pushing" her to do?

 

[EMAW_KSU]

Danger, twisty turns ahead!

That was expected