Jazz Jennings Proudly Shows Off Her Gender Confirmation Surgery Scars
Reality star Jazz Jennings is ensuring 2020 is a year to remember. The YouTuber and LGBTQ rights activist kicked off the new year by proudly showing off the scars of her 2018 gender confirmation surgery. In her recent Instagram post, the 19-year-old modeled in a classic one-piece bathing suit for the very first time on social media (via Yahoo!).
Jennings, who's fronted I Am Jazz on TLC since 2015, let audiences in on the life-changing surgery on the fifth season of the show, documenting not only scary complications but also important post-surgery moments in the young woman's life, including Jennings' first trip to the beach, which was also the first time she was able to wear a woman's bathing suit. That suit, however, notably covered her upper thighs.
Jazz Jennings is proud of her 'battle wounds'
In her latest post, though, Jazz Jennings took to Instagram to show she is unashamed of her body or what she's been through, modeling a new swimsuit, which offers far less coverage than the first one fans saw. She referred to her "battle wounds" in the emotional post, writing, "I'm proud of my scars and love my body just the way it is. I call them my battle wounds because they signify the strength and perseverance it took to finally complete my transition."
The comments were hugely supportive and positive, with one fan writing, "Proud of you and your journey!" while another championed Jennings, calling her "the strongest person I know." Her mother, Jeanette, gushed, "My sweet girl, you are the strongest and bravest of all the souls I've even known and I'm blessed to be your mom," while dad Greg added, "Love you Jazz. You are a model of courage, strength, perseverance and most of all, LOVE."
Jazz Jennings is grateful for fan support over the past decade
Jennings first came to prominence back in 2007, following an interview with Barbara Walters, which aired on 20/20, according to Today. The YouTube star recently shared a video on Instagram celebrating the past 10 years in the spotlight, thanking fans for standing by her through some difficult moments.
"#2018 was a rough year in my life. I experienced a major complication with my gender confirmation surgery and wound up back in the OR one week after the initial procedure," she wrote in the caption. Jennings now looks back on the experience positively, however, noting, "It was a tough journey, but experiences like that one only make us stronger in the end. Though it can be hard at times, a positive mindset and the support of those around you can help you conquer any challenge."
Complications with surgery didn't dampen Jazz Jennings' spirits
The reality star first revealed her big news on YouTube in mid-2018, in a video entitled "Preparing For Gender Confirmation Surgery," which has since racked up over 1.3 million views. "If I put out this information for people to see, they won't need to ask any more questions. And also, it's educational within the community as well. A lot of parents who have transgender kids are like, 'What do I do? I don't know much about this process,'" Jennings advised.
She went under the knife in late June 2018 but, in October, revealed complications had occurred, leading to a second procedure. "There was just an unfortunate event and setback where things did come apart, and there was a complication," Jazz told ABC News. Thankfully, Jennings acknowledged, "It was only cosmetic and external so it wasn't too dramatic."
The reality star described her gender confirmation surgery as, "Like a dream... This is a moment that I had always envisioned and just experiencing it was so surreal. I was like I can't believe this is happening."
It's been a whirlwind few years for Jazz Jennings
In October of last year, Jennings revealed she was taking a year off before attending Harvard, sharing her reasons for deferring on Instagram. "These past few years have been so full and busy that I realized I could use some time to refocus and recenter to be the strongest version of myself. I am so grateful to have the support of my parents and Harvard in making this decision and look forward to focusing on some self-care and getting prepared to start this exciting next chapter in my life," she explained at the time.
What Jazz Jennings' life will be like at Harvard remains to be seen, but she's sure to conquer the Ivy League world just as she has conquered everything else.