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My Joy List: Jazz Jennings

The activist, author, reality TV star, and Harvard student finds joy in roller coaster videos, chiropractic ASMR, and more.

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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.

Jazz Jennings

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.