Photo via Twitter.
On a new segment from Yahoo News with Katie Couric, Katie sat down with Jazz Jennings, a 14-year-old girl who has been sharing her story with the world about being young and transgender. When she was just 6, Jazz first appeared in the media and has been speaking out about her experience ever since. Jazz has received awards and recognition from various LGBT organizations, met with leaders and public figures like President Bill Clinton and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence at the GLAAD Media Awards, and was recently named to TIME Magazine's "25 Most Influential Teens of 2014" list alongside Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and First Daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama.
The Yahoo News segment opens with Katie asking Jazz about her new book, I Am Jazz, which is one of the first transgender books geared toward children. The young co-author of the book told Katie:
"I wanted to write this book so I could help other kids who are really struggling to find out who they are. It's not geared towards just LGBTQ kids, but kids of any difference of any type."
Jazz's mother, Jeanette, also joined the conversation to talk about anti-transgender discrimination against young people, and her experience accepting Jazz as who she is. Katie noted recent attempts by anti-trans activists in Minnesota to prevent transgender students from accessing facilities and joining activities that align with their gender identity, and Jeanette emphasized that education is needed to debunk the myths about who transgender people really are. Asked whether she's heard from other parents who are struggling to accept their transgender child, Jeanette replied:
"I know so many families that are not accepting. They'll write to me and they'll say, 'I just can't do this, I can't give up the idea of my son or daughter.' And it's really heartbreaking, and I try to tell them that this is a life and death situation; the suicide rates [among transgender youth] are astronomical here."
Watch the full interview with Jazz and Jeanette on Yahoo News with Katie Couric below: