[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[House]
[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.

                          ____________________