Shraman Mitra
TLC’s ‘I am Jazz’ revolves around Jazz Jennings, a transgender girl as she goes through the throes of young adulthood. Initially assigned male at birth, Jazz began questioning her gender when she was just two years old. One of the youngest people to be identified with gender dysphoria, she became quite an inspiration to others.
Fortunately, Jazz has caring, kind, and understanding parents who helped her undertake the challenging journey. However, they often like to work behind the scenes and do not reveal much about themselves. Thus, with fans now curious to know more about Jazz’s parents, we come bearing answers!
Who Are Jazz Jennings’ Parents?
Ever since Jazz’s parents entered the public sphere and stepped into the spotlight, they have undertaken various precautions to safeguard their daughter’s privacy and safety. Although their real names are Jeanette Renee and Gregory (Greg), the surname Jennings is a made-up one to protect their identity. Initially, they used pseudonyms Renée and Scott on social media and hoped it would help mask their daughter’s identity. Greg has often spoken about his concerns that public attention may put Jazz in danger.
However, since ‘I am Jazz’ revolves around Jazz and her family, Jeanette and Greg feature extensively on TV. Thus, they knew they had to start using their real names in public after becoming authentic identifiable personas. But talking about their surname and the decision to conceal it, Jeanette said, “We try to hide our real last name as much as possible. Our last name is a very Jewish, long last name. We found it easier at this point. She’s known as Jazz Jennings. With the TV show, they’re not going to tell anybody where we live. The TV show is not going to reference our true last name.”
Besides Jazz, who is the youngest, Jeanette and Greg have three other kids – a daughter Ari and twin sons Sander and Griffen. Jeanette and Greg’s parenting has resulted in all their kids sharing a strong bond. The family’s support for Jazz is incredible as they have stayed strong even as they received threats. Jeanette and Greg are on the same page when it comes to parenting Jazz. In an interview with ABC, Greg said, “Jeanette and I are in 100 percent agreement as to how we should raise Jazz. We don’t encourage, we support. And we just keep listening to what she tells us.”
What Do Jazz Jenning’s Parents Do for a Living?
Although Jazz’s parents Jeanette and Greg prefer privacy regarding most aspects of their lives, they shine bright as the co-founders of the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation, a country-wide group that focuses on helping and uplifting trans youth. Witnessing the challenges Jazz faced and still faces on a daily basis made the couple realize that there was a lack of organizations to help such individuals through the challenging stages of life. Thus, after establishing their own organization, they brought on a licensed mental health counselor and tried their best to improve the lives of trans children and teenagers.
Apart from providing support to trans youth, the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation provides scholarships, donates funds, provides financial assistance, and sponsorships. Additionally, they even rescue transgender people who are homeless and provide them with shelter. Surprisingly, the general consensus believes that Jazz’s parents have another paying job apart from their role in their organization. However, given that the family does not talk much about their lives, it is hard to say if that is true.
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