I Am Jazz

[Anonymous]

Anyone else watch this? I caught an episode on vacation and couldn't look away. I guess the boys/girls parents blocked his/her puberty, completely stunting the growth of his sexual organs. Now that he wants his sex change operation, he doesn't have enough tissue to accomplish this. But his voice never changed, and he never developed male features, so that's good! Ugh!

But she seems completely asexual. Not interested in boys or girls. Can't achieve erection or orgasm. I think the parents (mainly the mother, the dad doesn't seem to really be on board) made a terrible mistake allowing her to block puberty from occurring. Anyone else who watch this think that way?

She looks so sad in her consults, when they talk about the penile tissue being nearly nonexistent. When she says she has never experienced any sexual feelings (at nearly 18!) That she has no idea what it feels like to be sexual. I wonder if she may have been happier with manly features and the ability to have sexual feelings. She seems stuck as a 7yo boy.

[Anonymous]

My mom (73 and Catholic as the Pope!) loves this show. I watch it with her when we visit. Yes, we saw this episode. It was very sad. But the trade off IS a more conventionally feminine appearance compared to her friend that transitioned late. I think that eventually doctors will develop an alternative to the colon vagina.

That said, I felt Jazz was very inappropriate to discuss the procedure in front of her brother. Boys don't want to hear about their sister's vagina! If she was my daughter (and mine are cisgender girls), I would have stopped her when it became apparent he was uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom (73 and Catholic as the Pope!) loves this show. I watch it with her when we visit. Yes, we saw this episode. It was very sad. But the trade off IS a more conventionally feminine appearance compared to her friend that transitioned late. I think that eventually doctors will develop an alternative to the colon vagina.

That said, I felt Jazz was very inappropriate to discuss the procedure in front of her brother. Boys don't want to hear about their sister's vagina! If she was my daughter (and mine are cisgender girls), I would have stopped her when it became apparent he was uncomfortable.

I'm just wondering if the trade off is worth it. I wonder why they aren't concerned that she isn't sexual. As a parent, I'd be concerned. She wants to be a girl, but if she never feels sexual attraction or sexuality in general, what was the point? If that makes sense.

She will never know if she would have been happier as a more masculine looking female who is sexual, as opposed to a childlike girl who can't achieve sexual feeling. That seems so sad to me. They have stunted her sexuality completely, at the expense of feminine features.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom (73 and Catholic as the Pope!) loves this show. I watch it with her when we visit. Yes, we saw this episode. It was very sad. But the trade off IS a more conventionally feminine appearance compared to her friend that transitioned late. I think that eventually doctors will develop an alternative to the colon vagina.

That said, I felt Jazz was very inappropriate to discuss the procedure in front of her brother. Boys don't want to hear about their sister's vagina! If she was my daughter (and mine are cisgender girls), I would have stopped her when it became apparent he was uncomfortable.

I'm just wondering if the trade off is worth it. I wonder why they aren't concerned that she isn't sexual. As a parent, I'd be concerned. She wants to be a girl, but if she never feels sexual attraction or sexuality in general, what was the point? If that makes sense.

She will never know if she would have been happier as a more masculine looking female who is sexual, as opposed to a childlike girl who can't achieve sexual feeling. That seems so sad to me. They have stunted her sexuality completely, at the expense of feminine features.

I guarantee you my parents NEVER worried about whether or not I was sexual or how much. Hell my mother seemed very proud of how much she talked to me about procreating and had two books I could look at any time about it and puberty, but she NEVER told me women could have orgasms or what a clitoris is for, and the two books she gave me didn't mention it. Eventually you grow up, move away, explore your body, look stuff up, read other books, talk with friends and figure things out.

[Anonymous]

I think the father is skeptical, because he has a penis. The mother comes across as that "I'm your friend" kind of mom, so she's making whatever the daughter things she wants, possible.

I too wonder if things would be different for her sexually if she had been allowed to mature sexually, naturally.

I don't doubt that she would still want to go through with it all, but I wonder what the implications will be having not been allowed to naturally come into sexual maturation. I too wonder if she will be incapable of achieving orgasm.

I think the fact that the doctors she is visiting don't know about or question the hormonal blocker, make me wonder if it was the right choice - and make me wonder what kind of "doctor" would allow this in a sexually immature child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom (73 and Catholic as the Pope!) loves this show. I watch it with her when we visit. Yes, we saw this episode. It was very sad. But the trade off IS a more conventionally feminine appearance compared to her friend that transitioned late. I think that eventually doctors will develop an alternative to the colon vagina.

That said, I felt Jazz was very inappropriate to discuss the procedure in front of her brother. Boys don't want to hear about their sister's vagina! If she was my daughter (and mine are cisgender girls), I would have stopped her when it became apparent he was uncomfortable.

I'm just wondering if the trade off is worth it. I wonder why they aren't concerned that she isn't sexual. As a parent, I'd be concerned. She wants to be a girl, but if she never feels sexual attraction or sexuality in general, what was the point? If that makes sense.

She will never know if she would have been happier as a more masculine looking female who is sexual, as opposed to a childlike girl who can't achieve sexual feeling. That seems so sad to me. They have stunted her sexuality completely, at the expense of feminine features.

I guarantee you my parents NEVER worried about whether or not I was sexual or how much. Hell my mother seemed very proud of how much she talked to me about procreating and had two books I could look at any time about it and puberty, but she NEVER told me women could have orgasms or what a clitoris is for, and the two books she gave me didn't mention it. Eventually you grow up, move away, explore your body, look stuff up, read other books, talk with friends and figure things out.

But now they know. She has told doctors she is incabable of achieving orgasm. That means something isn't working properly. That would be concerning to me.

[Anonymous]

Should have been illegal to give this to a minor. Only 18 and older.

[Anonymous]

I have been watching from the beginning, and while I can generally understand the choice the parents made to put her on the hormone blocker, I wonder if they knew it would stunt her sexual desires. To me, that seems so sad. I wonder if that is what playing into her not knowing if she is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. I am also sick of the talk about the vagina--I think she does this for shock value. She knows it makes her dad and brothers uncomfortable.

Another thing I wonder about the parents/friends on the show--why is there this expectation that she will have a cis-boyfriend? IMO teenage boys are exploring their own sexuality. Why would they want to date a transgender girl who still has "boy parts"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been watching from the beginning, and while I can generally understand the choice the parents made to put her on the hormone blocker, I wonder if they knew it would stunt her sexual desires. To me, that seems so sad. I wonder if that is what playing into her not knowing if she is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. I am also sick of the talk about the vagina--I think she does this for shock value. She knows it makes her dad and brothers uncomfortable.

Another thing I wonder about the parents/friends on the show--why is there this expectation that she will have a cis-boyfriend? IMO teenage boys are exploring their own sexuality. Why would they want to date a transgender girl who still has "boy parts"?

My thoughts exactly.

The whole thing is messed up.

I have zero problem at all with a sexually mature adult deciding what they want to do with themselves. I have zero problem whatsoever with a parent accepting that their child is probably trans. But to stunt their sexuality before they e even had a chance to hit puberty? Who's to say he wouldn't have reached puberty, and suddenly it all clicked. Or maybe it wouldn't have. But he will never know.

I don't understand how the family has those dating expectations either. The whole thing is a circus and bad PR for adults who make his decision for themselves.

[Anonymous]

It seems like it would be better to have had her enter puberty and around 14 then start to block hormones. That way she could have frozen her sperm, experienced sexual feelings, and there would be more material for her operation since her penis would have grown. On the other hand maybe that would be too painful if she really doesn't want a penis- to have it grow bigger. No easy answers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like it would be better to have had her enter puberty and around 14 then start to block hormones. That way she could have frozen her sperm, experienced sexual feelings, and there would be more material for her operation since her penis would have grown. On the other hand maybe that would be too painful if she really doesn't want a penis- to have it grow bigger. No easy answers.

Not easy answers, no. And that's why they shouldn't have been made for a pre-pubescent child.

I feel for the child. She really sounds like she's trying to convince herself that it was the best choice. No wonder she's depressed.

[Anonymous]

When I was growing up, I had a female cousin who acted like a boy - she dressed like one, acted like one, talked like one, cut her hair like one, played like one -- identified as one. Even went by "Joe" (Josephine)

She grew up, and is a lesbian. She has children. She still identifies very much as a man (still goes by Joe; and you'd think she was a male.) But she came of age and is so grateful to have children, and all of her parts.

It's too bad Jazz won't be able to make the same decision as an adult.

[Anonymous]

As a person who has a trans sibling I was very interested in this show and quickly found it very difficult to watch. It is clear they are all a loving family and are good people and that all want the best for Jazz. But IMO the voyeurism is too much. Jazz is already going through so many normal adolescent trials and issues but to add the trans issues and the cameras it feels like the producers are really trying to make money at the expense of this family.

The issue re the hormone blockers is real. The lack of usable skin is very sobering, and on top of that the fact that Jazz, at her age, has not yet experienced any urges, is really sad.

Transparent is actually pretty funny and in many ways realistic IMO even though it's a scripted show.

[Anonymous]

I've watched all of the episodes of the show, and saw a documentary about Jazz and her family before the show was on. Both parents and brothers and sister are 100% supportive of her. They went through a lot of research, therapy etc. in the early years before they allowed her to live as a girl. I've heard her mom say if you times that when your child is suicidal because they're unhappy with their gender, then you listen to your child rather than risk them taking their life. I'm pretty sure that it's a continuous process of consulting with doctors therapist etc. helping her navigate adolescence.

I agree with them allowing her to hormone blocker, just makes it more challenging. And yeah it's a lot to talk about vaginas, I can do without more or that.

[Anonymous]

I feel terrible for Jazz. To me, the show comes off as child exploitation and a document of parental neglect. In addition to the turmoil of having gender identity issues, Jazz suffers from depression (and gender dysphoria is most often comorbid with mental illness like depression or anxiety). I think it's irresponsible to make Jazz into a reality star during this vulnerable life stage and in this vulnerable emotional state.

The parents constantly put Jazz into situations that are highly stressful and unnecessary. Like having Jazz confront people who've spoken hate speech, whether on a radio show or at a lecture where they knew an antagonistic person would be in the audience. It seems like Jazz's mom pushes for these confrontations with near glee.

The mother seems to be focused on seeking fame at whatever cost. I hate to say it, because it comes off as buying into the overbearing mother stereotype, but it's true. Also, the dad does not do nearly enough to put his foot down when it comes to matters of guarding Jazz's emotions. And the woman who co-authored the children's book on Jazz also seems to put fame above Jazz's well-being.