Why Jazz Jennings' Family Originally Didn't Want To Be On Camera

Jazz Jennings' mother, Jeanette, initially took their story public to try to help her daughter. She struggled to get their local school to recognize Jazz as female. "I tried to engage in a conversation, and they really weren't interested in meeting with me," Jeanette told VICE. "I think they were afraid. So I knew someone who suggested we went to the local paper to put pressure on the school."

The story was published about the family without identifying them. It wasn't hard for the community to figure out who the subjects were, however. The story succeeded in getting through to the school. "It worked because they granted us the conversation and a meeting. They allowed us to go in with our lawyer, our doctor — you name it, they were there. We came in, guns loaded, ready to battle, and we fought for her right to go to school as a girl," Jeanette noted.

From there, the media attention came to them. The story was picked up in outlets across the country. Then, Jazz's 20/20 interview happened. "We knew if Barbara gave her blessing and said, 'This is a real thing,' then maybe people would listen," Jeanette reasoned.

"We really wanted to move the needle forward and make life easier for Jazz, and help other people and make the world understand that these children exist and need to be accepted and treated like other children."