Teen reality star Jazz Jennings thanks fans after gender confirmation surgery
Transgender rights activist and television star Jazz Jennings says she is doing great following gender confirmation surgery.
The 17-year-old reality star, who has documented her trans journey on her hit TLC series I Am Jazz since 2015, posted a photo of herself in a hospital gown on Instagram June 28. She thanked followers for their "love and support."
In a YouTube video earlier this month, she said she was looking forward to the surgery and had been ready for it "my entire life."
"If I put out this information for people to see, they won't need to ask anymore questions," she continued. "Also, it's educational within the community, as well. A lot of parents who have transgender kids are like, 'What do I do? I don’t know much about this process.' And seeing our show kind of helps them figure out what steps they could take to help their kids and what the journey might look like in the future.
Jennings was diagnosed with gender dysphoria at age 3. The condition is described as psychological stress resulting when a person's sense of gender does not "match up" with the reproductive organs they were born with, according to HeathDirect.gov.au.
Jennings and her parents co-founded the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation, which helps transgender youth, in 2007.
