This Career Could Be In Jazz Jennings' Future
From a young age, activist Jazz Jennings has used her platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and shine a spotlight on transgender issues. Jennings first began documenting her life as a transgender teen on TLC's I Am Jazz, where she gives fans an honest look at the daily struggles she faces (via Time). Some of these challenges include body image issues, transgender inequality, and maintaining a school-life balance.
Even though she has carried this weight and society's expectations on her shoulders since being thrust into the public eye at just six years old, she never let it stop her from using her story to help others. Her intersectionality as both a trans woman and a Jewish woman puts her in the perfect spot to be a champion for others. Jazz Jennings is very vocal on social media about the discrimination that the LGBTQ+ community faces, and never shies away from standing up for human rights.
After spending so many years in the spotlight, it only makes sense that she's ready to get behind the camera too!
Jazz Jennings can see herself directing movies one day
In an interview with actress and fellow LGBTQ trailblazer Rowan Blanchard, Jennings shared that she wants to direct movies in the future. She told Dazed, "I think in the future I might want to go into the directing or movie-making business because I love coming up with stories. I love coming up with these cool ideas and worlds in my mind, and I want to share them with people."
As a self-proclaimed science fiction and fantasy aficionado, Jazz Jennings explained that she would love to direct "smart sci-fi, puzzle movies where people have to think and connect the dots but then come up with their own idea at the end."
Although Hollywood has gotten a lot better at creating films that feature a diverse cast or women at the forefront (or both), the movie industry still has a long way to go. Having Jazz Jennings behind the camera would help bridge the gap and provide more opportunities for marginalized groups to see themselves in positions they never thought were possible, and see their stories on the big screen. Representation matters, and no one knows that better than Jazz Jennings!