COMMEMORATING JAZZ AND FRIENDS NATIONAL DAY OF SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY READINGS; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 39
(House of Representatives - February 27, 2020)
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[Page H1230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMEMORATING JAZZ AND FRIENDS NATIONAL DAY OF SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
READINGS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. Craig) for 5 minutes.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of transgender and
nonbinary youth. Today is Jazz and Friends National Day of School and
Community Readings.
I would like to read the book ``I Am Jazz'' by Jessica Herthel and
Jazz Jennings.
I Am Jazz!
For as long as I can remember, my favorite color has been
pink. (My second-favorite color is silver and my third-
favorite color is green.)
Here are some of my other favorite things: dancing,
singing, back flips, drawing, soccer, swimming, makeup, and
pretending I'm a pop star.
Most of all, I love mermaids. Sometimes I even wear a
mermaid tail in the pool!
My best friends are Samantha and Casey. We always have fun
together. We like high heels and princess gowns, or
cartwheels and trampolines.
But I'm not exactly like Samantha and Casey.
I have a girl brain but a boy body. This is called
transgender.
I was born this way!
When I was very little, and my mom would say, ``You're such
a good boy,'' I would say, ``No, Mama. Good GIRL!''
At first my family was confused. They'd always thought of
me as a boy.
As I got older, I hardly ever played with trucks or tools
or superheroes. Only princesses and mermaid costumes.
My brothers told me this was girl stuff. I kept right on
playing.
My sister says I was always talking to her about my girl
thoughts, and my girl dreams, and how one day I would be a
beautiful lady.
She would giggle and say, ``You're a funny kid.''
Sometimes my parents let me wear my sister's dresses around
the house. But whenever we went out, I had to put on my boy
clothes again. This made me mad!
Still, I never gave up trying to convince them. Pretending
I was a boy felt like telling a lie.
Then one amazing day, everything changed. Mom and Dad took
me to meet a new doctor who asked me lots and lots of
questions. Afterward, the doctor spoke to my parents and I
heard the word ``transgender'' for the very first time.
That night at bedtime, my parents both hugged me and said,
``We understand now. Be who you are. We love you no matter
what.''
This made me smile and smile and smile.
{time} 1030
Mom and Dad told me I could start wearing girl clothes to
school, and growing my hair long. They even let me change my
name to Jazz.
Being JAZZ felt much more like being ME!
Mom said that being Jazz would make me different from the
other kids at school, but that being different is okay.
What's important, she said, is that I'm happy with who I am.
Being Jazz caused some other people to be confused too,
like the teachers at school.
At the beginning of the year they wanted me to use the
boys' bathroom, and play on the boys' team in gym class, but
that didn't feel normal to me at ALL.
I was so happy when the teachers changed their minds. I
can't imagine not playing on the same team as Casey and
Samantha.
Even today, there are kids who tease me, or call me by a
boy name, or ignore me altogether. This makes me feel crummy.
Then I remember that the kids who get to know me usually
want to be my friend. They say I'm one of the nicest girls at
school.
I don't mind being different. Different is special! I think
what matters most is what a person is like inside.
And inside, I am happy. I am having fun. I am proud!
I am Jazz!
Thank you, Jazz Jennings, for your courage.
____________________
