I Am Jazz (2015) s02e07 Episode Script
We Scare Most Boys
1 Jazz: Previously on "I Am Jazz" - Whoa! - Whoa! I think all of us need to lose weight and get healthy.
We found an obstacle course.
It's called Rugged Maniac.
Oh, there's no way I'm doing this.
Let's go! Speed! Down low, Jazz.
Down lower.
Look.
My knee's kind of swollen.
I tore my ACL in the championship football game.
Jeanette: We are going to be doing an obstacle course.
He could ruin everything in one race.
Alex started texting me again.
So, are you excited? I don't know! We're just texting! Have you told Mom and Dad - that you're texting him yet? - No.
Jazz: And tonight on "I Am Jazz" - We're here.
- We're here.
I see obstacles.
- Go, Jazzy! - Come on, Jazz.
I started talking to a boy.
There will be some things that he can't, like, quite understand.
I've had fun texting, but I wanted to see your face.
Aww.
You've grown so much.
You're so pretty now.
[Chuckles.]
They're necking or petting or touching.
- Necking? - It's gonna happen.
Clearly, I can't have sex yet.
Why not? Does it look like I'm really doing anything sexual? Jazz: 15 years ago, I was assigned male at birth, but inside, I always knew I was a girl.
I have a girl brain and a boy body.
Being transgender hasn't been easy.
You already have some breast shape.
We just have to make it better.
I get shy talking to gorgeous girls.
Wait, what? But it's made me who I am.
I am Jazz.
Jazz: Today is another family weigh-in, and we are working up to the last minute so we can be ready for Rugged Maniac, which is this big obstacle course that the family is competing in this weekend.
- Oh, here we come.
- Ladies first! Oh, no.
It ain't happening today.
Jeanette: Suddenly, I'm having hot flashes.
There's no way that I'm going on a scale.
Yeah, but why is that different than the other time we did the weigh-in? Well, at that time, I hadn't started dieting.
I don't go on a scale for one week during the month.
She's on her menstrual cycle.
I will go next week.
Thank you.
Griffen: I understand if my mom doesn't want to participate in the weigh-in, but then she says it's because she's on her period, and I'm just like T.
M.
I.
That.
Greg: Anyone want to take a guess? - 188.
- 189.
Okay.
189.
That was Sander's guess, right? I'll go next, but you guys can't look at my number, okay? I lost 3 pounds.
This weight loss journey is not going great for me.
Greg: Have you been trying hard? [Both laugh.]
Not only does the estrogen make me gain weight, but I found out that the hormone blocker makes me crave food more, which makes me gain weight.
So basically, I'm gaining weight, and it's just been super hard for me.
Griffen: All right, Sander, you go.
- Wow.
- 159.
- 160.
That rounds up.
Greg: You really are gaining weight.
- Jazz: 145! That's good! - With all my sports.
Come on.
That's not that bad.
More important than the weight, are we ready for this Rugged Maniac thing? 'Cause that's gonna take endurance and physical fitness.
Rugged Maniac is right around the corner, and I'm not sure we're ready.
Jeanette: I'm very skeptical, but you know what? I don't care if I fail on the Rugged Maniac course, as long as I'm thin in the end.
[Chuckles.]
- 9.
2! - 9.
2! [Cheers and applause.]
Jazz: Ugh.
It feels like I'm gonna break this little chair.
No, you won't.
That's why we're here, so I don't eat too much.
I know.
I'm glad that I'm eating healthier now 'cause at the weigh-in, I actually gained 3 pounds, not lost 3 pounds.
- Who ordered the salad? - I did.
- And the soup? - And the smoothie? Thank you.
- There you go.
- So, how's school? Same old.
You've been reconnecting with your friends like we talked about? No.
Not at all.
- Really? - We've really drifted apart.
Well, that's what happens between middle school and high school sometimes.
People change, and you change.
I'm not like how you were in high school.
You had five boyfriends.
You had a bunch of friends.
- I had one boyfriend.
- Yes, you were.
You were best friends with the prettiest girl in school, and you were second-prettiest.
Not even close.
Not even close.
I don't even talk to boys, really.
But you should.
You're beautiful.
I don't understand.
Like, they're just afraid of you.
Jazz: About a week ago, this boy I dated in fifth grade started texting me again.
I have not told my mom about Alex yet because I didn't know if it was something worth sharing.
But now that we've been talking more, I think I should tell her.
I don't know how to say this, but You're scaring me.
Remember Alex, my fifthgrade boyfriend? Alex.
I love Alex.
He started talking to me again.
Tell me everything! I want to know everything he said, everything you said.
I want everything.
Details, details! He was like, "you're so gorgeous and confident that I would think otherwise.
" He said you're gorgeous and confident? What'd you say to that? I want to know, like, the back-and-forth.
- I was like, "thanks.
" - Thanks? Thanks.
You have to admit, he's a nice guy.
And he's cute.
Can I see your phone? No! No! - Please? - No! Jeanette: When Jazz tells me that she and Alex have been communicating, I couldn't be happier for her.
And he is such a great kid, and they had a such a good time together when they were younger.
This has been a real awful school year for her, and now someone came in who appreciates her.
I think it's wonderful.
Right now, we're just friends who are talking, nothing more than that.
He's definitely flirting with me, but I don't know.
Are you flirting back? No.
Under different circumstances, I would be worried about Jazz dating because my first thought is her safety.
Transgender women have been murdered because they do not disclose before dating.
I am the first one to say disclosure before dating, but Alex already knows about her.
And he is just a nice, nice kid.
You've been out of the dating scene for quite some time.
No one said we're dating! Can I call his mom? No.
Jazz: I think the reason why mom is so excited is because she knows Alex.
She knows that he is super supportive of the fact that I'm transgender.
She knows his mom.
She loves his mom.
Well, if you weren't interested, you wouldn't have texted him back.
I'm not gonna ignore him.
The first boy that talks to me in four years, I'm not gonna ignore him.
Jeanette: I won't consider myself a pushy mom.
But I'm gonna push this.
I'm definitely going to be team Alex because, you know, I want her to have what every other teenage girl has and have a boyfriend in high school.
If it were some random guy, I'd be worried, but this is like this is Alex.
This is good.
I'm really happy.
I won't bother you about it too much.
Let me know everything.
I want to be kept in the loop.
I won't go to his mom.
Yet.
Why do you got to be so weird? [Laughs.]
Greg: So, are you ready for Rugged Maniac? I'm gonna give it 110%, but is there an ambulance there? I don't know, but I'm ready to go, "there's Mommy in the mud, in the mud," when you fall off the bridge.
I'm gonna put on a shower cap.
I don't want mud in my hair.
You can pretty much guarantee that you're gonna get dirty.
So, I'm starting to get some of the doctor's bills from the surgery.
They're looking for us, huh? Greg: Jazz had to have her hormone blocker replaced.
It's medically necessary, but our insurance policy did not cover this procedure.
This huge bill isn't coming at the greatest time, obviously, with three kids going off to college.
Griffin and Sander are about to head off to college.
It's going to be very expensive, and Jazz's medical treatments will cost tens of thousands of dollars over time.
Top surgery, bottom surgery, hormones, pills.
These are all things that add up.
We'll figure out somehow.
We'll scale down.
You might get me out of the big house yet.
Until insurance covers this, Jeanette and I are prepared to do battle with anybody that doesn't treat Jazz fairly.
So, Jazz and I went out for a healthy lunch, trying to be good, and then she drops a bombshell on me.
Huge news.
She got a text message from a boy.
Alex.
Her only boyfriend she ever had.
Little Alex? But what did he say? He just was like, "hey, it's me?" Just "hey, it's Alex.
How are you doing?" He was flirting.
And he said she was gorgeous.
Greg: When Jeanette tells me that a boy is showing interest in Jazz, I want to know what type of interest they're showing.
I mean, when she talked to you, did she say, like, he's asking her out on a date? No.
No, no.
But I hope he does.
Don't you? I'm more inclined to just say, "hey, take it slow.
" Take it slow? Yeah.
Take it slow.
Jazz hanging out with a boy brings up pretty apparent issues and differences between me and Jeanette.
My main concern is that when they first were together, they were much younger and it was really innocent, but Jazz is transgender, and they're at an age where they're changing.
I know that Alex knows about Jazz being transgender.
Yeah, you know, which is the beauty of it.
That's like the biggest hurdle for me.
But, you know, there's still just general issues, like how is Alex gonna be treated by his friends? I'm concerned for him.
He doesn't seem to care, though.
When two people get into a relationship, there's emotional strings attached, and I don't know if Jazz is ready for that.
It's not like I want her to have a boyfriend, but it's so nice that somebody appreciates and cares about her and thinks she's gorgeous and nice, and they'll probably get together.
I don't want my little girl to grow up so fast.
When they were little, she was trying to kiss him right away, so maybe we do have to worry about something.
How do you truly know that this is not just a dare that one of his boyfriends has put out for him? That would be just a nightmare.
He's not the kid that you knew four years ago.
Jeanette: Go, Jazzy! Go, Jazzy! Go! Whoa! Greg: She's not coming out.
Everyone put on their gloves.
Okay, that's not what a glove is used for.
Jazz: Rugged Maniac is a few days away, and if we're gonna survive, then we need to cooperate, work together, and encourage one another.
But first, it's time to put our tie-dye skills to the test.
Greg: First of all, I don't even know how you do this.
- So, what do you do? - Watch Jazz.
When you want to do it, you're gonna tilt it all the way upside-down and you're gonna keep it within a specific area, okay? - Do you have to saturate it? - Wow.
Don't saturate it too much.
- Can I do one? - I'm gonna try some green.
Hey, hey.
Can I get some? Oh, no! I didn't want it to go there! Greg: What are you doing? Making a mess! I hope I'm better at the Rugged Maniac obstacle course than I am at tie-dying.
Mine is boring.
That turned out great.
That looks way better than mine's gonna.
Sander: Despite not being able to participate in the Rugged Maniac, I'm still gonna help motivate the family and help them out throughout the whole entire obstacle course.
So, whose shirt is this? Is this Ari's? Yeah.
So, should we write our name? Our last name? We should do team name on the front, nickname on the back.
What's our team name? Should we just be "Team Jazz"? No.
I'd rather be the Jennings since we're doing it as a family, not as an individual.
Jeanette: The Fabulous Six? Boring! How about something creative? How about The Rainbow Runners? - There we go.
- Okay, Rainbow Runners.
Jazz: We came up with the name "Rainbow Runners" because we're gonna be wearing rainbow tie-dye, and it could also be translated to Rainbow Runners as in LGBTQ runners for support and equality.
What's our approach gonna be on this race? Are we gonna run all together to each obstacle, stop there, and then we're gonna try to get across the obstacle? - We better.
- We're gonna push each other.
'Cause if not, I'll be alone.
But there's gonna be stuff where we know, like, Mom's not gonna be able to do 'cause she's not gonna be capable, or even we can't do 'cause we're not capable.
I like the way you just said that, casually.
"Mom's just not capable.
" So, the obstacle course I am petrified.
I am not an athlete.
I just am not coordinated at all.
It's just gonna be pure comedy.
Jazz, are you worried about the race at all? My goal is that we cross the finish line hand-in-hand, okay? That's a great goal.
What are you most worried about? Dying.
[Laughter.]
Jack: Your mom loves this place.
Why do you love it? We took Jazz, Ari, and the boys here for breakfast many years ago, and the menus came and the waitress attended and went around the table and got to Jazz and said, "what a pretty little girl you are.
" Aww.
She passed.
She passed.
And it was a milestone.
For me, personally, a big milestone.
Jeanette: Today, I'm having lunch with my parents.
I'm real excited.
I haven't seen them for a while because they are the busiest people I know.
Like, every day they're having lunch with somebody, having dinner with somebody.
They're going to classes.
They're going to movies.
They're golfing.
And I'm like, "I want to go hang out with you guys.
You're having a lot of fun.
" You used to tell us everything, but now your life is so busy that we can't keep up with it anymore.
I don't remember what I tell you and what I don't tell you.
Did I tell about the boys with college? They got into Miami, and they're wait-listed at Duke.
Which way are your boys leaning? What do they really want? Well, you know, Duke is quite a school, but then there's the financial burden if they get in there.
I'm like, "well, who's paying for that?" It would be a lot easier for me if they were at U.
F.
It's perfect for them and Ari's there, and it's easy to get to.
Jeanette: Between Jazz's future medical treatment and college, these are all things that add up.
Ideally, they'll pick the one that they like the most, and hopefully that'll also be the one that's most economical.
Now, is Jazz concerned about her brothers going away to college? I'm concerned, but she's not concerned.
On top of everything, Jazz has a boy that might kind of be interested in her.
- What? - What? [Both chuckle.]
- Wait.
- You both said that.
You just threw us a curve ball.
Wait a minute.
Explain.
Do you remember when she was younger, she had a boyfriend? Alex? Well, he started texting her.
Romantically? Well, I mean, he said she was gorgeous and he was flirting with her.
How did she react to that? She just doesn't know how to react.
I think she's awkward.
Well, you know, it has to be said.
You say he's physically attractive, and there's no question that Jazz is extremely attractive.
And when you have two physically attractive people, things happen.
Are you prepared for that? Is Jazz prepared for that? They're 14 and 15 years old.
I don't want to think about it.
You don't want to think about it? Not until it's time.
They're necking or petting or touching.
Necking? Well, necking is an old-fashioned term.
I know.
Maybe your parents are dirty old grandparents, but that's what we think of.
Of course I think about these things, but I put it on the back burner.
It's in my back pocket somewhere.
But you may have to pull it out real fast.
Things could take off on their own speed, Jeanette.
I don't know if Jeanette's excitement over having a young man be interested in Jazz is just exciting for her because it then brings Jazz into a more mainstream world, or if she's just kind of going on what she knew about Alex a few years ago, and I don't know how you find out.
Any motives, do you think, exist there in this? She's never had a boy that would even talk to her.
So, why would someone be interested in her if they have a chance to be with a straight girl as opposed to a transgender girl? Some people don't care.
But very rare.
Alex may be the most special, terrific young man, but it's questionable.
What is he looking for? What is he searching for? Dating is an experiment.
Sexually getting involved with somebody is an experiment, and I don't want her used as a lab experiment.
How do you truly know that this is not just a dare that one of his boyfriends has put out for him? This is where my head comes from.
That would be just a nightmare.
We know that.
I don't think no, I 100% know that it's not a dare.
I know that.
He's not the kid that you knew four years ago.
Jeanette: My parents have, you know, brought up a lot of their thoughts and feelings, and I'm just kind of more carefree.
This is innocent.
But, you know, I forget.
Innocent isn't innocent for long.
Where do you think this is gonna go? Because I have the feeling you're denying that anything is really going on.
Maybe there's some potential, but right now, nothing has occurred.
But it's gonna happen.
None of us want to see her get hurt.
[Air horn blows.]
Let's go, Mama! Sprint! - Come on, Mom! - Oh, I hit a Let's go.
- Mom, how you feeling? - Not good.
- Not good? - I'm not doing well.
Jeanette: I don't even think I can breathe.
I wasn't pacing myself, and all of a sudden, the world was going black.
Jazz: Oh! I'm trying to be healthy, so all I get is water.
Noelle: Calories don't count if you drink them.
Let's not don't fact-check that.
That is not yeah.
Today, I'm with Noelle and Maya.
They are both my trans sisters.
Noelle I have known for a little while.
She's become a good friend of mine, and Maya I recently met at a transgender support group.
Okay, I have a question.
Like, at group you dated one of the girls.
I was, like, so surprised.
I was like, "oh!" - Sky, right? - Yeah.
Yeah, sky.
Yeah.
I want to hear your dating life.
I was just like, "what?" In return, I'll exchange some information that's going on with me right now.
But first, I want to hear about you.
Okay, so, she asked me out.
I said yes, 'cause at this point, I liked her.
But because she lived so far away and she went to different schools, I never really got to see her.
Did you ever actually officially break up? No.
- Are you even - You guys are still together! That's not how it works, like if you don't talk to each other for a month, then by the laws of dating, you guys are officially broken up.
Show me this handbook.
Show me this book.
I need to learn these rules.
Have you ever dated? Uh, okay, like, before I transitioned, in, like, 10th grade, that was like my real boyfriend, I guess.
Did he know that you were transgender, or? He just thought you were gay, or? Yeah.
He did not know at all.
And I don't know.
Like, dating was always, like, problematic then because, like, I knew how I was and, like, how I ideally saw myself, and I just felt like that was something, like, I could never be honest about or comfortable about.
I actually I started talking to a boy.
Well, he started talking to me first, but what's his name? His name is Alex.
Does he go to your school? No, he doesn't.
He's in middle school, though.
He's in eighth grade.
That's not bad, right? - No, that's not bad at all.
- Okay.
We actually dated when I was in fifth grade and he was in fourth grade, and he's definitely being very flirtatious, so I don't know what to do 'cause I've never been in this situation before.
And he is cisgender, so, yeah.
There will be some things that he can't, like, quite understand.
I mean, just 'cause it's harder doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it.
Like, I get what you're saying, like Oh, no, I'm not saying that.
Like, most of the people I've dated have been cis.
I am slightly surprised to see that someone is interested in Jazz.
Not because of her personality, just because when you're trans and a cis person is into you, you have to realize that he does not or she does not suffer from gender dysphoria.
They don't know what pain you're going through.
So dating can be very tough.
Yeah.
I think since we dated, like, in fifth grade, he already knows a lot of things.
Like the dos and don'ts.
Like what's okay to say and what's not okay.
Yeah, I think he gets most of that stuff.
I feel like with dating and guys kind of being attracted to you, like, it's really cool when they do show interest 'cause I feel like we kind of scare a lot of guys 'cause they're like, "oh.
We shouldn't be attracted to you, but we are.
" When cis people are interested in trans people, you kind of have to feel the situation 'cause you don't want anybody fetishizing you.
Seeing me as, like, a sexual object, and something that you just want to try, test out, when I'm more than that.
I'm a person, and that's what you should see me as first.
Then they question themselves, and I'm like, "if you're questioning yourself and you think you're, like, gay or something, like, you need to realize that invalidates, like, our identity.
" Yeah.
I think that's what I like about him.
He's like, "oh, okay.
She's a trans girl.
I don't care.
I don't care what people think about me for doing that.
I think I should just go for it if I like this girl.
And I accept her, and I think that's cool.
" - That's so beautiful! - Yeah.
Getting advice from my trans friends on dating is much different than getting advice from my cisgender friends because they really understand how difficult it can be to find someone who really accepts you for who you are as a person.
Do you think, like, he might ask you out anytime soon? On a date? - Mm-hmm.
- I don't know.
I mean, he has been saying all those flirtatious things, but You got to keep us posted.
Jazz: Rainbow Runners! You seem really excited for this obstacle course, Jazz.
- I like our name.
- I like tie-dye.
- I like tie-dye.
- Oh, yeah.
And the tie-dye.
The family is driving to Rugged Maniac today, and I'm super pumped because Ari's down for the weekend, and I'm definitely super excited that she's doing the obstacle course.
Greg: So, Jeanette, how you feeling about the race? I'm worried that I'm gonna puke on the slide.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm gonna fall on the rings.
Oh, well, that one's reasonable.
And I'm gonna face plant on the wall and slide down like they do in those cartoons.
Just like slide down.
With the squeaking noise.
They're like and get stuck in the mud.
Jeanette: I'm a maniac thinking I should do this.
That's why they call it that.
You're stupid! Stupid person.
I feel like mom's gonna flop upside-down.
Thanks, Jazz.
Appreciate that.
Flop? Greg: Sander, how's your leg feeling? You gonna be all right? I'm just worried of what obstacles I could do.
You should be worried because the physical therapist did not advise that you do this.
Recently, I went to the doctor, and he told me not to do the Rugged Maniac.
But I can't help but join in with the family.
We've been working up to this day for so long, and as long as I'm careful, I think I'll be fine.
Seriously, Sander, you have to take it easy.
And I'll be in the back with you.
We'll just kind of hold each other hands and take it easy together.
Greg: I think it's a bad decision for Sander to do these obstacles, but technically, he's a grown man.
He can make decisions for himself.
We're here! - Oh, we are here.
- We're here! - I see obstacles.
- Oh, shoot.
Jazz: It looks fun.
"This doesn't look like Kansas anymore, Toto.
" Jeanette: Okay, I'll see you guys later.
I'm the cowardly lion.
- You ready? - Get back here.
- What am I supposed to be? - It's hot out, don't you think? It's scorching.
At this Rugged Maniac obstacle course, the heat is real.
And I hope that we're gonna be okay.
Just everyone try their hardest.
Our goal is to finish together.
I agree.
Finish as a family.
All right.
On three.
Ready? - 1, 2, 3.
- Rainbow Runners! - Whoo! - Let's go.
Who's ready to get rugged today? [Cheers and applause.]
Greg: Standing in this huge mass of people, I'm thinking we're gonna get plowed over by everybody behind us.
Here we go.
It's happening in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
[Air horn blows.]
Let's go, Mama! Sprint! - Come on, Mom! - Oh! - Let's go.
- Let's go.
Aah! Greg: This course is crazy.
First thing we have to do is run a half a mile.
We already have a challenge ahead of us that is seemingly insurmountable.
Besides the fact that Jeanette and I are probably the oldest people in the heat.
Griffen: Two seconds in, and Mom's behind us, and we're like, "Mom!" "Where's Mom?" "Where's Mom?" - Mom, how you feel? - Not good.
- Not good? - I'm not doing well.
- What part of you is wrong? - Dizzy, nauseous.
I'm at the point where I don't even think I can breathe.
I wasn't pacing myself, and all of a sudden, I literally felt like I was going to faint and throw up, and the world was going black.
Sander: Guys, what do you think the physical therapist is gonna say when he sees this? Jazz: You got it, Sander! - Oh! Sander! - Sander.
- Mom, how you feel? - Not good.
- Not good? - What part of you is wrong? Jeanette: Dizzy, nauseous.
I'm at the point where I don't even think I can breathe.
I wasn't pacing myself, and all of a sudden, I literally felt like I was going to faint and throw up, and the world was going black.
I basically said, "you know what? Drink some water.
Pour some water on your head.
Whatever you have to do.
" And then I started feeling less like I was gonna die and I persevered and pushed forward.
Let's just try to get through the whole thing together.
You can skip obstacles if you don't feel it.
Jazz: Guys, it's hard! Take your time.
You got this, Mom.
You got this.
- The end.
- You did it! I don't have any balance.
You're too slow.
You're gonna lose your balance.
- [Bleep.]
- Here we go! No! - Man down! - Man down! Oh! - Oh, no.
- Oh, we got mud! Yo, I'm dirty.
Tell me when my butt's about to hit it.
You got this, Mom.
You got this.
You got it! Yeah! I'm absolutely proud of my mom.
To see her go from being very scared and nervous to doing the obstacles, even though some of them are really challenging Oh, my vajayjay.
She's completing them.
You got this, Mom.
Sander: Guys, what do you think the physical therapist is gonna say when he sees this? I think you, uh, are probably gonna be in some trouble.
Just kind of slide down, lean into that.
Good job.
Mom, careful, careful.
Oh! Oh! You doing this one? You got it, Sander.
Oh! Sander! Are you okay? - Are you okay? - You all right? Yeah.
Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Seeing Sander wipe out on the obstacle, and he really wiped out, I was worried about his knee, but not just his knee, his whole body.
Like, he crashed, and it was ugly.
- He's all right.
- Oh, my god.
Did your nipple fall off? - Oh, my god.
- Sander, are you okay? - That's not serious.
- I know, but like you just need some cold water.
That's called dedication.
Let's go.
- I kissed his boo-boo.
- He's fine.
Oh, Daddio, Daddio! Go, Jazzy! Go, Jazzy! Go! Whoa! Jazz goes underwater, and she's not coming out.
Oh! - Are you good? - I'm okay.
I was kind of surprised that my family was so freaked out.
I didn't realize it was such a big deal.
It was a little bit dramatic to see Griffin in the water, but I know he did it out of love.
- You all right, sweetie? - Oh, my god.
You hit your head there pretty good.
Hey, Jazz, now we have the wipeouts.
I'm okay, I'm okay.
We have the wipeouts of the day! Yay! I knew the hardest part of the Rugged Maniac was going to be the rings.
- Come on, Griff.
- Go, Griff! You need a lot of upper body strength and a lot of endurance.
- Go, Griff! - Go, Griffin! Greg: I see the boys get through the rings, and it was awesome.
- Yeah! - Nice! Aah! But everybody else is falling into the water.
Oh! Jazz down.
And I said, "nothing is gonna beat me.
I'm gonna take these rings down.
" Splash city! Don't be splash city! Swing backwards.
Back and forwards.
Jazz: Go, Dad! Go, Dad! Come on, Ddad! Don't stop! Don't stop! - You got this.
- Don't stop! As we get older, you start to realize that there's things you're not gonna be able to do, and so I just felt like you know what? I wanted to be young again.
Just for that one moment.
Keep going! Momentum, momentum! No! No! No! Go back! You got it! Right there.
- Now swing back! - Dad, Dad! - Shush.
- Forward.
[Laughter.]
Greg: Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Daddy, you're there.
Just jump! Just jump! Just go to the next one.
- Oh! Yeah! - Yeah, attaboy.
Look at him.
There's my man.
Oy, you know.
He's pushing 50, but it was really unbelievable.
[Chuckles.]
- Aww.
- Good job.
All right.
Let's continue.
Run! Greg: I'm proud of the family, particularly the kids for rallying around their mom and sticking together.
That was the game plan, and we stuck to it.
I was on fingernails.
Jeanette: There's the finish line.
Yay.
Jazz: Let's go.
Griffen: I think we might have been the slowest family, but seeing the finish line with my family by my side feels really good.
I feel like we've all worked really hard to get to this point, and we've all reached our fitness goals or at least are pretty close to it.
It's nothing.
Get up there! - Go, Daddy! - I got it.
- Yeah! - It's done.
Go, Jazz! Up, up, up, up, up! Yeah! Yeah! Jazz: I'm super happy with how I did on the course.
It was a lot of fun.
It was a super cool experience.
You did the smart thing, man.
Everybody knows you'd be able to do that.
Everyone knows.
And just being able to do it with my family was the best part.
Move over more, Mom, 'cause I don't want to - Guys, we're holding hands.
- Just move over a little more.
Put our hands up.
Ready? 1, 2, 3.
- Whoo! - Whoo! - Whoo! - Turn the corner and sprint! - Rainbow Runners! - Rainbow Runners! - Whoo! - Whoo! Whoo! Jeanette: Holding on to each other and crossing the finish line, I just feel such a sense of accomplishment for myself and for my family.
This was a great day.
We had an awesome time.
Love you.
Greg: Jeanette, you're such a trooper.
I'm so proud of the way you handled those.
You really pushed through.
I mean, that was hard.
You did one that Dad didn't even do.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, you did the balance beam.
I fell right away.
- Dad fell on the balance beam.
- You were awesome.
Oh, yeah.
Balance.
Dad's a proud husband.
Ari, I'm happy that you were able to join us.
It wouldn't have been the same without you.
Sander, you didn't use your noggin on a couple of those, but I think you did a great job.
Griffin, you made it all look easy.
I got to say, you should do this for a living.
And Dad, we had good wipeouts.
Let's huddle up.
Ready, set Rainbow Runners on 3! Rainbow Runners on 3! 1, 2, 3.
Rainbow Runners! Whoo-hoo! We wanted to talk to you about the birds and the bees.
Does it look like I'm really doing anything sexual? Not yet, but you might be in like six months or a year.
Well, clearly, I can't have sex.
Why not? Greg: I have to say, I am impressed, the way you handled Rugged Maniac.
I was not sure how you were gonna deal with that.
I have a sense of self-preservation.
That's all I can say.
You were awesome.
I made it to the finish line.
That's all that matters.
Did you have fun? Yeah, I had a lot of fun.
Would you do that again? Totally do it again.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
We'll make it an annual event.
Okay, well, the kids are gonna be in college, so I don't know if we can make it an annual event.
That's true.
I went to lunch with my parents, and, you know, I was telling them about Alex and how cute I thought it was.
And they're like, "well, did you think about" They're in high school now, and things could get more physical, I guess? Ay-yi-yi.
I was really excited about Jazz talking to Alex, but now suddenly, I'm like, "hmm.
" Maybe I should lock Jazz up like Greg wants to and throw away the key.
I don't want to lock her up and throw away the key.
I just want to make sure that we're arming Jazz with all the information that parents should arm their kids with.
I've never talked to her about, like, well, what happens if it becomes really physical? Obviously, she has a male body, at least from the waist down.
How does that play into things? Don't you think you're putting the cart before the horse on this one? I wasn't, and then, you know, I was like, "oh, cutesy, cutesy.
" Then my parents, you know, playing devil's advocate, were like, "well, what about this?" Greg: Jeanette was very happy-go-lucky about the idea of Jazz and Alex, and I kind of foreshadowed a couple of issues.
And obviously, that wasn't good enough that I presented them to Jeanette.
As soon as she has a conversation with her parents, all of a sudden, "oh! Wow!" The light bulb goes off, and now it's actually a reality.
I think any "intimate" type of contact is something that needs to be discussed.
But it's also very personal.
In her mind, like, what would sex be like? Does she think about that? I don't really want to get that graphic with her.
I mean, she's talked about with a transgender boy.
She has said things since she was little.
"Oh, they have backward sex.
" Really cute.
But being with a trans boy is different than being with a cis boy.
Greg: The fact of the matter is we just really never had that conversation with Jazz.
She's never been old enough.
She's never really gone on a date outside of elementary school.
Jeanette: We need to have a powwow with her.
Birds and the bees again.
Part two.
When are we doing this? Sooner than later.
Let's just throw it all out there.
[Chuckling.]
I'll I'll be present.
Wonderful.
Can't wait for that.
[Chuckles.]
We're gonna do the same order, right? Yeah.
I'm doing it in a certain way.
It's kind of foreshadowing.
Choosing what college we want to go to hasn't been an easy decision.
I'm pretty sure that our parents want us to stay in Florida 'cause it's still cheaper even with the scholarships we got, but we finally made our decision.
It's time to surprise our parents with a little signing day.
We are all set up now.
Uh Welcome to Twins Signing Day.
[Laughter.]
We didn't make it in sports, so we're signing for academics.
That is hysterical.
You guys got a couple of good choices there.
So, before we make our decision, we would like Dad to speak on behalf of which one he thinks we should go to.
I like the U because it's close to home, and you guys got nice scholarships there.
F.
S.
U.
is a great school.
It's within the state.
So from a tuition standpoint, that's great.
Duke is a great school, but I have to admit, it'd be very expensive for you to go there.
And you guys know I love University of Florida because Ari's there.
Seems like this process is gonna take a while.
Griffin, are you ready to make our decisions? - Yeah.
- All right.
Ladies first.
You can give your decision first.
After much thought I'd like to take my talents to Gainesville.
Yay! Sander: I like to say that everything happens for a reason.
And for a reason, I got waitlisted at Duke, so I'm not going there.
I'd like to also say, I got a lot of scholarship money here, but with that said, I'm not taking my talents here.
I'm taking my talents to Gainesville.
Jazz: I knew the twins were gonna choose U.
F.
I mean, it's been their dream college since they were little.
I mean, they even have U.
F.
sheets.
Like, what? No brainer.
My little gators.
Aww.
Jeanette: I'm very relieved to see the twins going to University of Florida because it's close to home.
I'm so proud of the boys.
They worked hard.
They deserve it.
They'll be with Ari.
And it'll be great 'cause we'll be able to go visit all three of the kids at the same time.
Is it okay if I get, like, a condo up there? Uh I'd bring money when I come visit.
Okay, you can come.
[Knock on door.]
- Knock, knock, knock.
- Come in.
Close the door, Greg.
We want to keep Nemo here.
- What are you doing? - Just a little bit of homework.
Homework? Not.
Ew, you are! It's a frog dissection! Yeah.
Famous ninth grade frog dissection.
[Chuckles.]
So All right, why are you guys in here? 'Cause we want to have a serious conversation with you.
About what? The fact that you have been in touch with Alex got us thinking about your relationships with people.
Greg: Jeanette and I want to talk to Jazz 'cause being transgender and dating is not necessarily the easiest thing in the world to do, especially in high school.
We want to make sure Jazz is armed with all the information that we think she needs.
So, we came here.
We wanted to talk to you about the birds and the bees.
So, this just got awkward quick.
Jazz: I just don't want to be involved with this.
I know it's gonna be awkward, and honestly, I don't do anything.
Like, I've barely even kissed before.
It's kind of weird because I don't really feel sexual.
Can I ask you a question? 'Cause I'm not even sure of the answer to this.
What kind of education do they give you in school about this stuff? Um, they tell us about safe sex, sexual transmitted diseases.
I know all about condoms, contraceptives, everything.
This is awkward.
Jeanette: Because of your special circumstances, it throws a wrench sometimes in sexual intimacy.
[Chuckles.]
Whether it's with a Does it look like I'm really doing anything sexual? Not yet, but you might be in like six months or a year.
Jeanette: The bottom line is, you know, she might be saying something today, but when she starts dating, things can go very fast.
You can go from, you know, kissing on the first date to who knows what on the second date, and that's how kids are these days.
Have you thought about it at all? Like, being intimate with anybody? Well, clearly, I can't have sex yet.
Why not? Not that I want you to.
[Chuckles.]
Don't I'm not I'm just curious why you think that.
- We encourage you no.
- Not to.
You guys don't have to worry about me.
I'm not gonna be What you think.
Jazz: I'm not trying to have sex right now, especially when I haven't even had the bottom surgery.
I can't really do much anyway, so I don't know.
They have to chill out.
If I am interested one day, don't worry, I'll come to you.
That's what we're here for, to make sure that you come to us.
Okay, I will.
That's when I'm like 20.
- Or older.
- Can I get that in writing? [Laughter.]
Hi, Jazz.
I wasn't expecting you to call me.
Yeah.
I've had fun texting, but I wanted to see your face.
Do you think we could go on a date? Um This is my first real date.
Do you have a type? I don't know.
I haven't explored enough yet.
I don't even know my sexual orientation.
You're a gorgeous girl, you know.
I want you to experience love.
Don't miss the Jazz season finale.
Only on TLC.
[Facetime ringing.]
Alex: Hi, Jazz.
Hello! What's up? Um, nothing much.
I'm just sitting at the dinner table.
I wasn't expecting you to call me.
Yeah.
I've had fun texting, but I wanted to see your face.
Aww.
Jazz: I'm actually kind of nervous that Alex is facetiming instead of texting because we haven't seen each other in like four years.
With text, you could wait a little bit, but when it's face to face, it's just it's a different interaction.
You've grown so much.
You're so pretty now.
[Chuckles.]
Oh, my god.
Your voice got much deeper than it was in fourth grade.
Yeah, and I've grown a lot.
[Chuckles.]
Oh! Seeing Alex he still has the same face, so that's pretty cute.
Hopefully he is the same person in the inside, as well, and not a total douche now.
It's also awesome to be able to talk you on - talk Oh, my god.
I'm nervous.
I'm sorry.
Why? Don't be nervous.
I get shy talking to gorgeous girls.
Wait, what? [Laughs.]
Do you still play soccer? Yep.
Do you play baseball or no? No, I don't play any sports anymore.
Really? What do you do with your life? I don't [Chuckles.]
When was the last time I saw you? It was my brothers' eighth grade party.
Do you remember that? Yes, I do.
And I remember how I left.
Yeah.
That that was pretty bad.
You busted my lip open.
No, I didn't! Yes, you did.
No, I didn't! With your braces.
Ugh.
But you said I bit you.
I did not bite you.
You bit me.
No, I didn't.
And then I walked out with my lip bleeding, and your dad asked us what we were doing.
That was a good day, though.
That was pretty funny.
Do you think we could reconnect again, go on a date? Um Uh Sure.
I guess.
Do you know where we would want to go, or? We can go somewhere fun, and then we can go to dinner.
Okay.
We can make memories again.
It's gonna be fun.
Jazz: How could I say no? I mean, I'm not used to compliments like this, especially from guys.
I guess I'll see you whenever we hang out.
Okay.
Sounds like a date.
No guy has ever told me that I'm beautiful.
It's just so he's brave to do that.
It'll be fun.
- Okay, bye.
- Bye.
So I'm curious to know what an afternoon with him is gonna be like.
Next time on "I Am Jazz" I think I just got asked on a date.
Is this, like, your first, like, actual date? Yes.
When it comes to dating, I'm a little bit more nervous because I don't really know what to expect.
You're a gorgeous girl, and I'd love to go on a second date.
What? I've had issues with the bathroom in the past.
I wasn't allowed to use the girls' bathroom at my elementary school.
I have had some people come up to me and be like, "if a trans girl ever walks into the girls' bathroom, I will beat her down.
" I got another call.
This time, I was home when he called.
I know where Gregory works.
And I'm telling everybody about how sick you people are.
Isn't it against the law? Isn't it a felony or something? He's harassing and threatening.
The police said that they did all they could do.
No, I'm not gonna take that.
The issue is resolved.
As far the police are concerned Not for me.
It's never resolved.
I'm mad.
We found an obstacle course.
It's called Rugged Maniac.
Oh, there's no way I'm doing this.
Let's go! Speed! Down low, Jazz.
Down lower.
Look.
My knee's kind of swollen.
I tore my ACL in the championship football game.
Jeanette: We are going to be doing an obstacle course.
He could ruin everything in one race.
Alex started texting me again.
So, are you excited? I don't know! We're just texting! Have you told Mom and Dad - that you're texting him yet? - No.
Jazz: And tonight on "I Am Jazz" - We're here.
- We're here.
I see obstacles.
- Go, Jazzy! - Come on, Jazz.
I started talking to a boy.
There will be some things that he can't, like, quite understand.
I've had fun texting, but I wanted to see your face.
Aww.
You've grown so much.
You're so pretty now.
[Chuckles.]
They're necking or petting or touching.
- Necking? - It's gonna happen.
Clearly, I can't have sex yet.
Why not? Does it look like I'm really doing anything sexual? Jazz: 15 years ago, I was assigned male at birth, but inside, I always knew I was a girl.
I have a girl brain and a boy body.
Being transgender hasn't been easy.
You already have some breast shape.
We just have to make it better.
I get shy talking to gorgeous girls.
Wait, what? But it's made me who I am.
I am Jazz.
Jazz: Today is another family weigh-in, and we are working up to the last minute so we can be ready for Rugged Maniac, which is this big obstacle course that the family is competing in this weekend.
- Oh, here we come.
- Ladies first! Oh, no.
It ain't happening today.
Jeanette: Suddenly, I'm having hot flashes.
There's no way that I'm going on a scale.
Yeah, but why is that different than the other time we did the weigh-in? Well, at that time, I hadn't started dieting.
I don't go on a scale for one week during the month.
She's on her menstrual cycle.
I will go next week.
Thank you.
Griffen: I understand if my mom doesn't want to participate in the weigh-in, but then she says it's because she's on her period, and I'm just like T.
M.
I.
That.
Greg: Anyone want to take a guess? - 188.
- 189.
Okay.
189.
That was Sander's guess, right? I'll go next, but you guys can't look at my number, okay? I lost 3 pounds.
This weight loss journey is not going great for me.
Greg: Have you been trying hard? [Both laugh.]
Not only does the estrogen make me gain weight, but I found out that the hormone blocker makes me crave food more, which makes me gain weight.
So basically, I'm gaining weight, and it's just been super hard for me.
Griffen: All right, Sander, you go.
- Wow.
- 159.
- 160.
That rounds up.
Greg: You really are gaining weight.
- Jazz: 145! That's good! - With all my sports.
Come on.
That's not that bad.
More important than the weight, are we ready for this Rugged Maniac thing? 'Cause that's gonna take endurance and physical fitness.
Rugged Maniac is right around the corner, and I'm not sure we're ready.
Jeanette: I'm very skeptical, but you know what? I don't care if I fail on the Rugged Maniac course, as long as I'm thin in the end.
[Chuckles.]
- 9.
2! - 9.
2! [Cheers and applause.]
Jazz: Ugh.
It feels like I'm gonna break this little chair.
No, you won't.
That's why we're here, so I don't eat too much.
I know.
I'm glad that I'm eating healthier now 'cause at the weigh-in, I actually gained 3 pounds, not lost 3 pounds.
- Who ordered the salad? - I did.
- And the soup? - And the smoothie? Thank you.
- There you go.
- So, how's school? Same old.
You've been reconnecting with your friends like we talked about? No.
Not at all.
- Really? - We've really drifted apart.
Well, that's what happens between middle school and high school sometimes.
People change, and you change.
I'm not like how you were in high school.
You had five boyfriends.
You had a bunch of friends.
- I had one boyfriend.
- Yes, you were.
You were best friends with the prettiest girl in school, and you were second-prettiest.
Not even close.
Not even close.
I don't even talk to boys, really.
But you should.
You're beautiful.
I don't understand.
Like, they're just afraid of you.
Jazz: About a week ago, this boy I dated in fifth grade started texting me again.
I have not told my mom about Alex yet because I didn't know if it was something worth sharing.
But now that we've been talking more, I think I should tell her.
I don't know how to say this, but You're scaring me.
Remember Alex, my fifthgrade boyfriend? Alex.
I love Alex.
He started talking to me again.
Tell me everything! I want to know everything he said, everything you said.
I want everything.
Details, details! He was like, "you're so gorgeous and confident that I would think otherwise.
" He said you're gorgeous and confident? What'd you say to that? I want to know, like, the back-and-forth.
- I was like, "thanks.
" - Thanks? Thanks.
You have to admit, he's a nice guy.
And he's cute.
Can I see your phone? No! No! - Please? - No! Jeanette: When Jazz tells me that she and Alex have been communicating, I couldn't be happier for her.
And he is such a great kid, and they had a such a good time together when they were younger.
This has been a real awful school year for her, and now someone came in who appreciates her.
I think it's wonderful.
Right now, we're just friends who are talking, nothing more than that.
He's definitely flirting with me, but I don't know.
Are you flirting back? No.
Under different circumstances, I would be worried about Jazz dating because my first thought is her safety.
Transgender women have been murdered because they do not disclose before dating.
I am the first one to say disclosure before dating, but Alex already knows about her.
And he is just a nice, nice kid.
You've been out of the dating scene for quite some time.
No one said we're dating! Can I call his mom? No.
Jazz: I think the reason why mom is so excited is because she knows Alex.
She knows that he is super supportive of the fact that I'm transgender.
She knows his mom.
She loves his mom.
Well, if you weren't interested, you wouldn't have texted him back.
I'm not gonna ignore him.
The first boy that talks to me in four years, I'm not gonna ignore him.
Jeanette: I won't consider myself a pushy mom.
But I'm gonna push this.
I'm definitely going to be team Alex because, you know, I want her to have what every other teenage girl has and have a boyfriend in high school.
If it were some random guy, I'd be worried, but this is like this is Alex.
This is good.
I'm really happy.
I won't bother you about it too much.
Let me know everything.
I want to be kept in the loop.
I won't go to his mom.
Yet.
Why do you got to be so weird? [Laughs.]
Greg: So, are you ready for Rugged Maniac? I'm gonna give it 110%, but is there an ambulance there? I don't know, but I'm ready to go, "there's Mommy in the mud, in the mud," when you fall off the bridge.
I'm gonna put on a shower cap.
I don't want mud in my hair.
You can pretty much guarantee that you're gonna get dirty.
So, I'm starting to get some of the doctor's bills from the surgery.
They're looking for us, huh? Greg: Jazz had to have her hormone blocker replaced.
It's medically necessary, but our insurance policy did not cover this procedure.
This huge bill isn't coming at the greatest time, obviously, with three kids going off to college.
Griffin and Sander are about to head off to college.
It's going to be very expensive, and Jazz's medical treatments will cost tens of thousands of dollars over time.
Top surgery, bottom surgery, hormones, pills.
These are all things that add up.
We'll figure out somehow.
We'll scale down.
You might get me out of the big house yet.
Until insurance covers this, Jeanette and I are prepared to do battle with anybody that doesn't treat Jazz fairly.
So, Jazz and I went out for a healthy lunch, trying to be good, and then she drops a bombshell on me.
Huge news.
She got a text message from a boy.
Alex.
Her only boyfriend she ever had.
Little Alex? But what did he say? He just was like, "hey, it's me?" Just "hey, it's Alex.
How are you doing?" He was flirting.
And he said she was gorgeous.
Greg: When Jeanette tells me that a boy is showing interest in Jazz, I want to know what type of interest they're showing.
I mean, when she talked to you, did she say, like, he's asking her out on a date? No.
No, no.
But I hope he does.
Don't you? I'm more inclined to just say, "hey, take it slow.
" Take it slow? Yeah.
Take it slow.
Jazz hanging out with a boy brings up pretty apparent issues and differences between me and Jeanette.
My main concern is that when they first were together, they were much younger and it was really innocent, but Jazz is transgender, and they're at an age where they're changing.
I know that Alex knows about Jazz being transgender.
Yeah, you know, which is the beauty of it.
That's like the biggest hurdle for me.
But, you know, there's still just general issues, like how is Alex gonna be treated by his friends? I'm concerned for him.
He doesn't seem to care, though.
When two people get into a relationship, there's emotional strings attached, and I don't know if Jazz is ready for that.
It's not like I want her to have a boyfriend, but it's so nice that somebody appreciates and cares about her and thinks she's gorgeous and nice, and they'll probably get together.
I don't want my little girl to grow up so fast.
When they were little, she was trying to kiss him right away, so maybe we do have to worry about something.
How do you truly know that this is not just a dare that one of his boyfriends has put out for him? That would be just a nightmare.
He's not the kid that you knew four years ago.
Jeanette: Go, Jazzy! Go, Jazzy! Go! Whoa! Greg: She's not coming out.
Everyone put on their gloves.
Okay, that's not what a glove is used for.
Jazz: Rugged Maniac is a few days away, and if we're gonna survive, then we need to cooperate, work together, and encourage one another.
But first, it's time to put our tie-dye skills to the test.
Greg: First of all, I don't even know how you do this.
- So, what do you do? - Watch Jazz.
When you want to do it, you're gonna tilt it all the way upside-down and you're gonna keep it within a specific area, okay? - Do you have to saturate it? - Wow.
Don't saturate it too much.
- Can I do one? - I'm gonna try some green.
Hey, hey.
Can I get some? Oh, no! I didn't want it to go there! Greg: What are you doing? Making a mess! I hope I'm better at the Rugged Maniac obstacle course than I am at tie-dying.
Mine is boring.
That turned out great.
That looks way better than mine's gonna.
Sander: Despite not being able to participate in the Rugged Maniac, I'm still gonna help motivate the family and help them out throughout the whole entire obstacle course.
So, whose shirt is this? Is this Ari's? Yeah.
So, should we write our name? Our last name? We should do team name on the front, nickname on the back.
What's our team name? Should we just be "Team Jazz"? No.
I'd rather be the Jennings since we're doing it as a family, not as an individual.
Jeanette: The Fabulous Six? Boring! How about something creative? How about The Rainbow Runners? - There we go.
- Okay, Rainbow Runners.
Jazz: We came up with the name "Rainbow Runners" because we're gonna be wearing rainbow tie-dye, and it could also be translated to Rainbow Runners as in LGBTQ runners for support and equality.
What's our approach gonna be on this race? Are we gonna run all together to each obstacle, stop there, and then we're gonna try to get across the obstacle? - We better.
- We're gonna push each other.
'Cause if not, I'll be alone.
But there's gonna be stuff where we know, like, Mom's not gonna be able to do 'cause she's not gonna be capable, or even we can't do 'cause we're not capable.
I like the way you just said that, casually.
"Mom's just not capable.
" So, the obstacle course I am petrified.
I am not an athlete.
I just am not coordinated at all.
It's just gonna be pure comedy.
Jazz, are you worried about the race at all? My goal is that we cross the finish line hand-in-hand, okay? That's a great goal.
What are you most worried about? Dying.
[Laughter.]
Jack: Your mom loves this place.
Why do you love it? We took Jazz, Ari, and the boys here for breakfast many years ago, and the menus came and the waitress attended and went around the table and got to Jazz and said, "what a pretty little girl you are.
" Aww.
She passed.
She passed.
And it was a milestone.
For me, personally, a big milestone.
Jeanette: Today, I'm having lunch with my parents.
I'm real excited.
I haven't seen them for a while because they are the busiest people I know.
Like, every day they're having lunch with somebody, having dinner with somebody.
They're going to classes.
They're going to movies.
They're golfing.
And I'm like, "I want to go hang out with you guys.
You're having a lot of fun.
" You used to tell us everything, but now your life is so busy that we can't keep up with it anymore.
I don't remember what I tell you and what I don't tell you.
Did I tell about the boys with college? They got into Miami, and they're wait-listed at Duke.
Which way are your boys leaning? What do they really want? Well, you know, Duke is quite a school, but then there's the financial burden if they get in there.
I'm like, "well, who's paying for that?" It would be a lot easier for me if they were at U.
F.
It's perfect for them and Ari's there, and it's easy to get to.
Jeanette: Between Jazz's future medical treatment and college, these are all things that add up.
Ideally, they'll pick the one that they like the most, and hopefully that'll also be the one that's most economical.
Now, is Jazz concerned about her brothers going away to college? I'm concerned, but she's not concerned.
On top of everything, Jazz has a boy that might kind of be interested in her.
- What? - What? [Both chuckle.]
- Wait.
- You both said that.
You just threw us a curve ball.
Wait a minute.
Explain.
Do you remember when she was younger, she had a boyfriend? Alex? Well, he started texting her.
Romantically? Well, I mean, he said she was gorgeous and he was flirting with her.
How did she react to that? She just doesn't know how to react.
I think she's awkward.
Well, you know, it has to be said.
You say he's physically attractive, and there's no question that Jazz is extremely attractive.
And when you have two physically attractive people, things happen.
Are you prepared for that? Is Jazz prepared for that? They're 14 and 15 years old.
I don't want to think about it.
You don't want to think about it? Not until it's time.
They're necking or petting or touching.
Necking? Well, necking is an old-fashioned term.
I know.
Maybe your parents are dirty old grandparents, but that's what we think of.
Of course I think about these things, but I put it on the back burner.
It's in my back pocket somewhere.
But you may have to pull it out real fast.
Things could take off on their own speed, Jeanette.
I don't know if Jeanette's excitement over having a young man be interested in Jazz is just exciting for her because it then brings Jazz into a more mainstream world, or if she's just kind of going on what she knew about Alex a few years ago, and I don't know how you find out.
Any motives, do you think, exist there in this? She's never had a boy that would even talk to her.
So, why would someone be interested in her if they have a chance to be with a straight girl as opposed to a transgender girl? Some people don't care.
But very rare.
Alex may be the most special, terrific young man, but it's questionable.
What is he looking for? What is he searching for? Dating is an experiment.
Sexually getting involved with somebody is an experiment, and I don't want her used as a lab experiment.
How do you truly know that this is not just a dare that one of his boyfriends has put out for him? This is where my head comes from.
That would be just a nightmare.
We know that.
I don't think no, I 100% know that it's not a dare.
I know that.
He's not the kid that you knew four years ago.
Jeanette: My parents have, you know, brought up a lot of their thoughts and feelings, and I'm just kind of more carefree.
This is innocent.
But, you know, I forget.
Innocent isn't innocent for long.
Where do you think this is gonna go? Because I have the feeling you're denying that anything is really going on.
Maybe there's some potential, but right now, nothing has occurred.
But it's gonna happen.
None of us want to see her get hurt.
[Air horn blows.]
Let's go, Mama! Sprint! - Come on, Mom! - Oh, I hit a Let's go.
- Mom, how you feeling? - Not good.
- Not good? - I'm not doing well.
Jeanette: I don't even think I can breathe.
I wasn't pacing myself, and all of a sudden, the world was going black.
Jazz: Oh! I'm trying to be healthy, so all I get is water.
Noelle: Calories don't count if you drink them.
Let's not don't fact-check that.
That is not yeah.
Today, I'm with Noelle and Maya.
They are both my trans sisters.
Noelle I have known for a little while.
She's become a good friend of mine, and Maya I recently met at a transgender support group.
Okay, I have a question.
Like, at group you dated one of the girls.
I was, like, so surprised.
I was like, "oh!" - Sky, right? - Yeah.
Yeah, sky.
Yeah.
I want to hear your dating life.
I was just like, "what?" In return, I'll exchange some information that's going on with me right now.
But first, I want to hear about you.
Okay, so, she asked me out.
I said yes, 'cause at this point, I liked her.
But because she lived so far away and she went to different schools, I never really got to see her.
Did you ever actually officially break up? No.
- Are you even - You guys are still together! That's not how it works, like if you don't talk to each other for a month, then by the laws of dating, you guys are officially broken up.
Show me this handbook.
Show me this book.
I need to learn these rules.
Have you ever dated? Uh, okay, like, before I transitioned, in, like, 10th grade, that was like my real boyfriend, I guess.
Did he know that you were transgender, or? He just thought you were gay, or? Yeah.
He did not know at all.
And I don't know.
Like, dating was always, like, problematic then because, like, I knew how I was and, like, how I ideally saw myself, and I just felt like that was something, like, I could never be honest about or comfortable about.
I actually I started talking to a boy.
Well, he started talking to me first, but what's his name? His name is Alex.
Does he go to your school? No, he doesn't.
He's in middle school, though.
He's in eighth grade.
That's not bad, right? - No, that's not bad at all.
- Okay.
We actually dated when I was in fifth grade and he was in fourth grade, and he's definitely being very flirtatious, so I don't know what to do 'cause I've never been in this situation before.
And he is cisgender, so, yeah.
There will be some things that he can't, like, quite understand.
I mean, just 'cause it's harder doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it.
Like, I get what you're saying, like Oh, no, I'm not saying that.
Like, most of the people I've dated have been cis.
I am slightly surprised to see that someone is interested in Jazz.
Not because of her personality, just because when you're trans and a cis person is into you, you have to realize that he does not or she does not suffer from gender dysphoria.
They don't know what pain you're going through.
So dating can be very tough.
Yeah.
I think since we dated, like, in fifth grade, he already knows a lot of things.
Like the dos and don'ts.
Like what's okay to say and what's not okay.
Yeah, I think he gets most of that stuff.
I feel like with dating and guys kind of being attracted to you, like, it's really cool when they do show interest 'cause I feel like we kind of scare a lot of guys 'cause they're like, "oh.
We shouldn't be attracted to you, but we are.
" When cis people are interested in trans people, you kind of have to feel the situation 'cause you don't want anybody fetishizing you.
Seeing me as, like, a sexual object, and something that you just want to try, test out, when I'm more than that.
I'm a person, and that's what you should see me as first.
Then they question themselves, and I'm like, "if you're questioning yourself and you think you're, like, gay or something, like, you need to realize that invalidates, like, our identity.
" Yeah.
I think that's what I like about him.
He's like, "oh, okay.
She's a trans girl.
I don't care.
I don't care what people think about me for doing that.
I think I should just go for it if I like this girl.
And I accept her, and I think that's cool.
" - That's so beautiful! - Yeah.
Getting advice from my trans friends on dating is much different than getting advice from my cisgender friends because they really understand how difficult it can be to find someone who really accepts you for who you are as a person.
Do you think, like, he might ask you out anytime soon? On a date? - Mm-hmm.
- I don't know.
I mean, he has been saying all those flirtatious things, but You got to keep us posted.
Jazz: Rainbow Runners! You seem really excited for this obstacle course, Jazz.
- I like our name.
- I like tie-dye.
- I like tie-dye.
- Oh, yeah.
And the tie-dye.
The family is driving to Rugged Maniac today, and I'm super pumped because Ari's down for the weekend, and I'm definitely super excited that she's doing the obstacle course.
Greg: So, Jeanette, how you feeling about the race? I'm worried that I'm gonna puke on the slide.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm gonna fall on the rings.
Oh, well, that one's reasonable.
And I'm gonna face plant on the wall and slide down like they do in those cartoons.
Just like slide down.
With the squeaking noise.
They're like and get stuck in the mud.
Jeanette: I'm a maniac thinking I should do this.
That's why they call it that.
You're stupid! Stupid person.
I feel like mom's gonna flop upside-down.
Thanks, Jazz.
Appreciate that.
Flop? Greg: Sander, how's your leg feeling? You gonna be all right? I'm just worried of what obstacles I could do.
You should be worried because the physical therapist did not advise that you do this.
Recently, I went to the doctor, and he told me not to do the Rugged Maniac.
But I can't help but join in with the family.
We've been working up to this day for so long, and as long as I'm careful, I think I'll be fine.
Seriously, Sander, you have to take it easy.
And I'll be in the back with you.
We'll just kind of hold each other hands and take it easy together.
Greg: I think it's a bad decision for Sander to do these obstacles, but technically, he's a grown man.
He can make decisions for himself.
We're here! - Oh, we are here.
- We're here! - I see obstacles.
- Oh, shoot.
Jazz: It looks fun.
"This doesn't look like Kansas anymore, Toto.
" Jeanette: Okay, I'll see you guys later.
I'm the cowardly lion.
- You ready? - Get back here.
- What am I supposed to be? - It's hot out, don't you think? It's scorching.
At this Rugged Maniac obstacle course, the heat is real.
And I hope that we're gonna be okay.
Just everyone try their hardest.
Our goal is to finish together.
I agree.
Finish as a family.
All right.
On three.
Ready? - 1, 2, 3.
- Rainbow Runners! - Whoo! - Let's go.
Who's ready to get rugged today? [Cheers and applause.]
Greg: Standing in this huge mass of people, I'm thinking we're gonna get plowed over by everybody behind us.
Here we go.
It's happening in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
[Air horn blows.]
Let's go, Mama! Sprint! - Come on, Mom! - Oh! - Let's go.
- Let's go.
Aah! Greg: This course is crazy.
First thing we have to do is run a half a mile.
We already have a challenge ahead of us that is seemingly insurmountable.
Besides the fact that Jeanette and I are probably the oldest people in the heat.
Griffen: Two seconds in, and Mom's behind us, and we're like, "Mom!" "Where's Mom?" "Where's Mom?" - Mom, how you feel? - Not good.
- Not good? - I'm not doing well.
- What part of you is wrong? - Dizzy, nauseous.
I'm at the point where I don't even think I can breathe.
I wasn't pacing myself, and all of a sudden, I literally felt like I was going to faint and throw up, and the world was going black.
Sander: Guys, what do you think the physical therapist is gonna say when he sees this? Jazz: You got it, Sander! - Oh! Sander! - Sander.
- Mom, how you feel? - Not good.
- Not good? - What part of you is wrong? Jeanette: Dizzy, nauseous.
I'm at the point where I don't even think I can breathe.
I wasn't pacing myself, and all of a sudden, I literally felt like I was going to faint and throw up, and the world was going black.
I basically said, "you know what? Drink some water.
Pour some water on your head.
Whatever you have to do.
" And then I started feeling less like I was gonna die and I persevered and pushed forward.
Let's just try to get through the whole thing together.
You can skip obstacles if you don't feel it.
Jazz: Guys, it's hard! Take your time.
You got this, Mom.
You got this.
- The end.
- You did it! I don't have any balance.
You're too slow.
You're gonna lose your balance.
- [Bleep.]
- Here we go! No! - Man down! - Man down! Oh! - Oh, no.
- Oh, we got mud! Yo, I'm dirty.
Tell me when my butt's about to hit it.
You got this, Mom.
You got this.
You got it! Yeah! I'm absolutely proud of my mom.
To see her go from being very scared and nervous to doing the obstacles, even though some of them are really challenging Oh, my vajayjay.
She's completing them.
You got this, Mom.
Sander: Guys, what do you think the physical therapist is gonna say when he sees this? I think you, uh, are probably gonna be in some trouble.
Just kind of slide down, lean into that.
Good job.
Mom, careful, careful.
Oh! Oh! You doing this one? You got it, Sander.
Oh! Sander! Are you okay? - Are you okay? - You all right? Yeah.
Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Seeing Sander wipe out on the obstacle, and he really wiped out, I was worried about his knee, but not just his knee, his whole body.
Like, he crashed, and it was ugly.
- He's all right.
- Oh, my god.
Did your nipple fall off? - Oh, my god.
- Sander, are you okay? - That's not serious.
- I know, but like you just need some cold water.
That's called dedication.
Let's go.
- I kissed his boo-boo.
- He's fine.
Oh, Daddio, Daddio! Go, Jazzy! Go, Jazzy! Go! Whoa! Jazz goes underwater, and she's not coming out.
Oh! - Are you good? - I'm okay.
I was kind of surprised that my family was so freaked out.
I didn't realize it was such a big deal.
It was a little bit dramatic to see Griffin in the water, but I know he did it out of love.
- You all right, sweetie? - Oh, my god.
You hit your head there pretty good.
Hey, Jazz, now we have the wipeouts.
I'm okay, I'm okay.
We have the wipeouts of the day! Yay! I knew the hardest part of the Rugged Maniac was going to be the rings.
- Come on, Griff.
- Go, Griff! You need a lot of upper body strength and a lot of endurance.
- Go, Griff! - Go, Griffin! Greg: I see the boys get through the rings, and it was awesome.
- Yeah! - Nice! Aah! But everybody else is falling into the water.
Oh! Jazz down.
And I said, "nothing is gonna beat me.
I'm gonna take these rings down.
" Splash city! Don't be splash city! Swing backwards.
Back and forwards.
Jazz: Go, Dad! Go, Dad! Come on, Ddad! Don't stop! Don't stop! - You got this.
- Don't stop! As we get older, you start to realize that there's things you're not gonna be able to do, and so I just felt like you know what? I wanted to be young again.
Just for that one moment.
Keep going! Momentum, momentum! No! No! No! Go back! You got it! Right there.
- Now swing back! - Dad, Dad! - Shush.
- Forward.
[Laughter.]
Greg: Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Daddy, you're there.
Just jump! Just jump! Just go to the next one.
- Oh! Yeah! - Yeah, attaboy.
Look at him.
There's my man.
Oy, you know.
He's pushing 50, but it was really unbelievable.
[Chuckles.]
- Aww.
- Good job.
All right.
Let's continue.
Run! Greg: I'm proud of the family, particularly the kids for rallying around their mom and sticking together.
That was the game plan, and we stuck to it.
I was on fingernails.
Jeanette: There's the finish line.
Yay.
Jazz: Let's go.
Griffen: I think we might have been the slowest family, but seeing the finish line with my family by my side feels really good.
I feel like we've all worked really hard to get to this point, and we've all reached our fitness goals or at least are pretty close to it.
It's nothing.
Get up there! - Go, Daddy! - I got it.
- Yeah! - It's done.
Go, Jazz! Up, up, up, up, up! Yeah! Yeah! Jazz: I'm super happy with how I did on the course.
It was a lot of fun.
It was a super cool experience.
You did the smart thing, man.
Everybody knows you'd be able to do that.
Everyone knows.
And just being able to do it with my family was the best part.
Move over more, Mom, 'cause I don't want to - Guys, we're holding hands.
- Just move over a little more.
Put our hands up.
Ready? 1, 2, 3.
- Whoo! - Whoo! - Whoo! - Turn the corner and sprint! - Rainbow Runners! - Rainbow Runners! - Whoo! - Whoo! Whoo! Jeanette: Holding on to each other and crossing the finish line, I just feel such a sense of accomplishment for myself and for my family.
This was a great day.
We had an awesome time.
Love you.
Greg: Jeanette, you're such a trooper.
I'm so proud of the way you handled those.
You really pushed through.
I mean, that was hard.
You did one that Dad didn't even do.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, you did the balance beam.
I fell right away.
- Dad fell on the balance beam.
- You were awesome.
Oh, yeah.
Balance.
Dad's a proud husband.
Ari, I'm happy that you were able to join us.
It wouldn't have been the same without you.
Sander, you didn't use your noggin on a couple of those, but I think you did a great job.
Griffin, you made it all look easy.
I got to say, you should do this for a living.
And Dad, we had good wipeouts.
Let's huddle up.
Ready, set Rainbow Runners on 3! Rainbow Runners on 3! 1, 2, 3.
Rainbow Runners! Whoo-hoo! We wanted to talk to you about the birds and the bees.
Does it look like I'm really doing anything sexual? Not yet, but you might be in like six months or a year.
Well, clearly, I can't have sex.
Why not? Greg: I have to say, I am impressed, the way you handled Rugged Maniac.
I was not sure how you were gonna deal with that.
I have a sense of self-preservation.
That's all I can say.
You were awesome.
I made it to the finish line.
That's all that matters.
Did you have fun? Yeah, I had a lot of fun.
Would you do that again? Totally do it again.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
We'll make it an annual event.
Okay, well, the kids are gonna be in college, so I don't know if we can make it an annual event.
That's true.
I went to lunch with my parents, and, you know, I was telling them about Alex and how cute I thought it was.
And they're like, "well, did you think about" They're in high school now, and things could get more physical, I guess? Ay-yi-yi.
I was really excited about Jazz talking to Alex, but now suddenly, I'm like, "hmm.
" Maybe I should lock Jazz up like Greg wants to and throw away the key.
I don't want to lock her up and throw away the key.
I just want to make sure that we're arming Jazz with all the information that parents should arm their kids with.
I've never talked to her about, like, well, what happens if it becomes really physical? Obviously, she has a male body, at least from the waist down.
How does that play into things? Don't you think you're putting the cart before the horse on this one? I wasn't, and then, you know, I was like, "oh, cutesy, cutesy.
" Then my parents, you know, playing devil's advocate, were like, "well, what about this?" Greg: Jeanette was very happy-go-lucky about the idea of Jazz and Alex, and I kind of foreshadowed a couple of issues.
And obviously, that wasn't good enough that I presented them to Jeanette.
As soon as she has a conversation with her parents, all of a sudden, "oh! Wow!" The light bulb goes off, and now it's actually a reality.
I think any "intimate" type of contact is something that needs to be discussed.
But it's also very personal.
In her mind, like, what would sex be like? Does she think about that? I don't really want to get that graphic with her.
I mean, she's talked about with a transgender boy.
She has said things since she was little.
"Oh, they have backward sex.
" Really cute.
But being with a trans boy is different than being with a cis boy.
Greg: The fact of the matter is we just really never had that conversation with Jazz.
She's never been old enough.
She's never really gone on a date outside of elementary school.
Jeanette: We need to have a powwow with her.
Birds and the bees again.
Part two.
When are we doing this? Sooner than later.
Let's just throw it all out there.
[Chuckling.]
I'll I'll be present.
Wonderful.
Can't wait for that.
[Chuckles.]
We're gonna do the same order, right? Yeah.
I'm doing it in a certain way.
It's kind of foreshadowing.
Choosing what college we want to go to hasn't been an easy decision.
I'm pretty sure that our parents want us to stay in Florida 'cause it's still cheaper even with the scholarships we got, but we finally made our decision.
It's time to surprise our parents with a little signing day.
We are all set up now.
Uh Welcome to Twins Signing Day.
[Laughter.]
We didn't make it in sports, so we're signing for academics.
That is hysterical.
You guys got a couple of good choices there.
So, before we make our decision, we would like Dad to speak on behalf of which one he thinks we should go to.
I like the U because it's close to home, and you guys got nice scholarships there.
F.
S.
U.
is a great school.
It's within the state.
So from a tuition standpoint, that's great.
Duke is a great school, but I have to admit, it'd be very expensive for you to go there.
And you guys know I love University of Florida because Ari's there.
Seems like this process is gonna take a while.
Griffin, are you ready to make our decisions? - Yeah.
- All right.
Ladies first.
You can give your decision first.
After much thought I'd like to take my talents to Gainesville.
Yay! Sander: I like to say that everything happens for a reason.
And for a reason, I got waitlisted at Duke, so I'm not going there.
I'd like to also say, I got a lot of scholarship money here, but with that said, I'm not taking my talents here.
I'm taking my talents to Gainesville.
Jazz: I knew the twins were gonna choose U.
F.
I mean, it's been their dream college since they were little.
I mean, they even have U.
F.
sheets.
Like, what? No brainer.
My little gators.
Aww.
Jeanette: I'm very relieved to see the twins going to University of Florida because it's close to home.
I'm so proud of the boys.
They worked hard.
They deserve it.
They'll be with Ari.
And it'll be great 'cause we'll be able to go visit all three of the kids at the same time.
Is it okay if I get, like, a condo up there? Uh I'd bring money when I come visit.
Okay, you can come.
[Knock on door.]
- Knock, knock, knock.
- Come in.
Close the door, Greg.
We want to keep Nemo here.
- What are you doing? - Just a little bit of homework.
Homework? Not.
Ew, you are! It's a frog dissection! Yeah.
Famous ninth grade frog dissection.
[Chuckles.]
So All right, why are you guys in here? 'Cause we want to have a serious conversation with you.
About what? The fact that you have been in touch with Alex got us thinking about your relationships with people.
Greg: Jeanette and I want to talk to Jazz 'cause being transgender and dating is not necessarily the easiest thing in the world to do, especially in high school.
We want to make sure Jazz is armed with all the information that we think she needs.
So, we came here.
We wanted to talk to you about the birds and the bees.
So, this just got awkward quick.
Jazz: I just don't want to be involved with this.
I know it's gonna be awkward, and honestly, I don't do anything.
Like, I've barely even kissed before.
It's kind of weird because I don't really feel sexual.
Can I ask you a question? 'Cause I'm not even sure of the answer to this.
What kind of education do they give you in school about this stuff? Um, they tell us about safe sex, sexual transmitted diseases.
I know all about condoms, contraceptives, everything.
This is awkward.
Jeanette: Because of your special circumstances, it throws a wrench sometimes in sexual intimacy.
[Chuckles.]
Whether it's with a Does it look like I'm really doing anything sexual? Not yet, but you might be in like six months or a year.
Jeanette: The bottom line is, you know, she might be saying something today, but when she starts dating, things can go very fast.
You can go from, you know, kissing on the first date to who knows what on the second date, and that's how kids are these days.
Have you thought about it at all? Like, being intimate with anybody? Well, clearly, I can't have sex yet.
Why not? Not that I want you to.
[Chuckles.]
Don't I'm not I'm just curious why you think that.
- We encourage you no.
- Not to.
You guys don't have to worry about me.
I'm not gonna be What you think.
Jazz: I'm not trying to have sex right now, especially when I haven't even had the bottom surgery.
I can't really do much anyway, so I don't know.
They have to chill out.
If I am interested one day, don't worry, I'll come to you.
That's what we're here for, to make sure that you come to us.
Okay, I will.
That's when I'm like 20.
- Or older.
- Can I get that in writing? [Laughter.]
Hi, Jazz.
I wasn't expecting you to call me.
Yeah.
I've had fun texting, but I wanted to see your face.
Do you think we could go on a date? Um This is my first real date.
Do you have a type? I don't know.
I haven't explored enough yet.
I don't even know my sexual orientation.
You're a gorgeous girl, you know.
I want you to experience love.
Don't miss the Jazz season finale.
Only on TLC.
[Facetime ringing.]
Alex: Hi, Jazz.
Hello! What's up? Um, nothing much.
I'm just sitting at the dinner table.
I wasn't expecting you to call me.
Yeah.
I've had fun texting, but I wanted to see your face.
Aww.
Jazz: I'm actually kind of nervous that Alex is facetiming instead of texting because we haven't seen each other in like four years.
With text, you could wait a little bit, but when it's face to face, it's just it's a different interaction.
You've grown so much.
You're so pretty now.
[Chuckles.]
Oh, my god.
Your voice got much deeper than it was in fourth grade.
Yeah, and I've grown a lot.
[Chuckles.]
Oh! Seeing Alex he still has the same face, so that's pretty cute.
Hopefully he is the same person in the inside, as well, and not a total douche now.
It's also awesome to be able to talk you on - talk Oh, my god.
I'm nervous.
I'm sorry.
Why? Don't be nervous.
I get shy talking to gorgeous girls.
Wait, what? [Laughs.]
Do you still play soccer? Yep.
Do you play baseball or no? No, I don't play any sports anymore.
Really? What do you do with your life? I don't [Chuckles.]
When was the last time I saw you? It was my brothers' eighth grade party.
Do you remember that? Yes, I do.
And I remember how I left.
Yeah.
That that was pretty bad.
You busted my lip open.
No, I didn't! Yes, you did.
No, I didn't! With your braces.
Ugh.
But you said I bit you.
I did not bite you.
You bit me.
No, I didn't.
And then I walked out with my lip bleeding, and your dad asked us what we were doing.
That was a good day, though.
That was pretty funny.
Do you think we could reconnect again, go on a date? Um Uh Sure.
I guess.
Do you know where we would want to go, or? We can go somewhere fun, and then we can go to dinner.
Okay.
We can make memories again.
It's gonna be fun.
Jazz: How could I say no? I mean, I'm not used to compliments like this, especially from guys.
I guess I'll see you whenever we hang out.
Okay.
Sounds like a date.
No guy has ever told me that I'm beautiful.
It's just so he's brave to do that.
It'll be fun.
- Okay, bye.
- Bye.
So I'm curious to know what an afternoon with him is gonna be like.
Next time on "I Am Jazz" I think I just got asked on a date.
Is this, like, your first, like, actual date? Yes.
When it comes to dating, I'm a little bit more nervous because I don't really know what to expect.
You're a gorgeous girl, and I'd love to go on a second date.
What? I've had issues with the bathroom in the past.
I wasn't allowed to use the girls' bathroom at my elementary school.
I have had some people come up to me and be like, "if a trans girl ever walks into the girls' bathroom, I will beat her down.
" I got another call.
This time, I was home when he called.
I know where Gregory works.
And I'm telling everybody about how sick you people are.
Isn't it against the law? Isn't it a felony or something? He's harassing and threatening.
The police said that they did all they could do.
No, I'm not gonna take that.
The issue is resolved.
As far the police are concerned Not for me.
It's never resolved.
I'm mad.