05x03 - Caterpillar to Butterfly

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "I am jazz"...

You know, you're gonna be in new york for a while.

Yeah. I'm going to be there for, like, a week, right?

Well, we're thinking you should be in for at least weeks.

Shouldn't we have known this, like, months ago?

Griffen's definitely changed a little bit

Since being in this relationship.

He's never actually there for me anymore.

I'm really happy for griffen getting a girlfriend,

But when griffen chooses time with his girlfriend over me,

I get jealous.

Sorry, I've been at gainesville doing school.

That's not all your doing up there.

I guess I've matured a little bit.

And I haven't?

Greg: for clarity, what's gonna be used

To create jazz's new genitalia?

For the genitals, for the outside,

It's just the tissue she already has.

And for the sensory portion,

The head of the penis will become the clitoris.

The vag*na is really where things are still t.b.d.

Jeanette: the fact that they haven't mapped out

All the details is pretty scary.

They need a game plan.

--Captions by vitac-- www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by discovery communications

♪♪

Jeanette: here's the thing.

I'm not sleeping, and that's so not like me.

I need sleep. Like, I'm sleep-deprived.

Yeah, you said you went to bed, like, at : last night?

I think it was more like :. Yeah. Just couldn't sleep.

I'm overwhelmed, I think.

When it comes to getting ready for the surgery,

Jazz is as cool as a cucumber,

But I'm a nervous wreck right now.

Even if I'm unraveling inside,

I'm not going to let jazz know that.

I think you're just busy running around

With your head chopped off, basically.

You got things to get organized.

You got to get the whole family up to new york.

It's more about, like, our family and friends.

Like, nobody knows what's going on.

I just want to put something on facebook.

Be like, "hey, we're headed to new york for the big day,

And please say your prayers for us," and...

That's what's important to you?

Let me tell what that's actually going to create.

What?

You're going to have a lot of people ask about --

Why do you have to be negative about it?

Why can't you, like... -Because you're going to have

A lot of people asking a lot of questions

And asking for details, and it's actually going

To create more stress. -No, it's not.

I'm more concerned about the realities of the surgery.

No, that's not anything I can control.

Once she goes in for surgery, I can't control anything.

I understand.

If you don't understand my point, then it's really...

No.

You do you, whatever makes you feel good that way.

Right. Well, what are you doing for you?

What makes you feel good,

Stretching your leg with that rubber thing?

Maybe I need to talk about it with other people.

I feel like it's something I would like to do,

And I want your blessing.

Okay. I'm not going to argue with you about it.

No, I feel like you're arguing with me.

I'm not.

I'm in a couple of advocacy groups on facebook,

And they've followed jazz's journey

For years and years and years,

So I want them to know what's going on with us.

That's where I get a lot of strength from.

I'm more low-key.

I typically prefer to keep private matters private.

So what do you need from me

That I could do to make this easier for you?

I need you to be the "yes" man.

The yes man? That is not in nature.

When jeanette says, "be my yes man.

Say 'yes' to everything that I say,"

I know that I'm a dead man walking.

You are.

I want to have a "farewell to penis" party.

[ Laughs ] oh, my god. That was a setup.

That was...yes?

I want to do this party because I want to have fun with the idea

That jazz is having surgery.

This is not fun. There's nothing fun about this.

But laughter is the best medicine.

Jazz is having the surgery.

Let's not freak out, and let's say goodbye to her old penis.

Why can't you do a "hello to vag*na" party?

I want to bake a cake, and I'm not baking a vag*na cake.

You're gonna get a cake of a phallus,

And you're gonna sit there and cut it up?

It's not gonna look like a phallus.

It's just gonna look like

A friendly little penis with a face.

I will not eat that cake.

What about a penis piñata? Do you like that idea?

[ Laughing ]

[ Laughs ]

I don't even know how jazz would feel about something like this.

I mean... -Oh, she would love it.

Let's get jazz's ears. Jazz!

'Ello! 'Ello, munchkin.

I want to throw a farewell to penis party...

-Pfft! [ Laughs ] -...for you.

♪ So long, farewell ♪

I want to do this. This sounds so fun.

So you're comfortable with this?

Yeah! Are you kidding? It's so fun.

Maybe I should write a little eulogy to my penis.

Yeah. "We've been together a long time, you and i."

I even named you "caterpillar."

That's what I named him.

So you're gonna have a naming for your...

-vag*na? -Yeah.

If it's caterpillar, then I got to name my vag*na "butterfly."

[ Laughter ]

Jazz: this quirky and fun idea seems like a cool thing,

But also, I love making my dad uncomfortable,

And if this penis party is gonna do just that,

Then we got to have a penis party!

Can you guys just tell me when the party is?

I'll show up.

Will you have a bite of the cake?

I will not touch the cake.

Just the left ball. Come on.

You could eat the nuts.

[ Laughs ]

[ Laughs ]

♪♪

Sander: jazz, I'm getting the stuff ready for the video.

I'm ready. I'll just wear this.

Do you want to help me carry down the light,

Or do you want me to do it all? -You do it all.

Your job is to set it up,

And my job is to be in front of the camera.

This week, I am traveling to new york

For my gender confirmation surgery,

And I just can't believe that this week has finally arrived.

Sander: camera's down there.

I'll get both the lights right now.

Jazz: I have a social media following on youtube,

And I'm able to share with them my journey.

[ Thud ]

That's not how to handle a camera.

The lens cap is on, sander.

-And there's no memory card. -[ Gasps ]

It's not even in. You put it in backwards.

I'm new to video making,

And I'm hoping to really learn all the different aspects of it

So I can become a really good video choreographer.

Yeah, but some people call it choreography for certain things.

If I go like one... If it's anything under ,

That means you have this much time left.

I go like this, it means, like, wrap it up,

Like, you're rambling.

If I kind of, like, go like this, then...

That doesn't matter. [ Chuckles ]

I create youtube videos because it's a good way

To document my transition and share my thoughts and feelings.

We were both born biologically male.

Mm-hmm.

And this surgery is, like, the final big thing,

The last part of my transition.

And action. Hey, everyone.

This is jazz, and I am here for another video.

Today, I'm gonna be talking about duh, duh, dum,

The upcoming gender confirmation surgery.

The reason why I'm so excited for this operation

Is because it's something I've been looking forward to

My entire life.

As soon as I could express myself,

I have always known I was a girl.

Give me a line like the surgery, when and where it's gonna be.

-Okay. -Get people excited.

So the surgery is june th, which is, like, so soon,

And I'm getting it done at mt. Sinai hospital.

My doctors are performing this new groundbreaking procedure.

It's kind of gonna be, like, a patchwork vag*na in a way,

But I don't care.

Overall, it's gonna be worth it

Because I'm finally gonna be in the body

That I've always wanted,

And I'm gonna feel complete as a person.

So thank you all for watching this video.

Stay tuned for future updates about my surgery,

And yeah, take care.

And that's a wrap.

Yay.

♪♪

[ Cellphone rings ]

-Hello. -Hey, jeanette. How are you?

Hi! How are you?

I'm doing well.

I haven't seen you in a while.

I know. It's been years.

I'm all ears.

Oh, okay.

Ignacio is a producer with abc,

And we've worked with him on projects in the past.

When jazz was years old,

We had our first media experience,

And she did an interview with barbara walters on "/."

If people say to you, "are you a boy or a girl,"

What do you say?

-A girl. -Mm-hmm.

At the time, we had no idea how big it was gonna be.

We just thought, "oh, it's another news story.

It'll come and go, and it would help people

That had transgender kids."

Little did we know that it would end up being

This, like, historical moment

Where all of a sudden the flood gates

Opened up and transgender children

Started coming out of the woodworks.

It was like the beginning of a generation

Of transgender youth.

Well, you know, it's at abc where we started,

So it makes sense for us to be doing it

Now that jazz is completing her journey.

Maybe we can make that happen. -Wonderful.

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh ♪

♪♪

Sander: whatcha doing?

Just reading the paper.

See anything about jazz in the news?

Should i?

I wouldn't be surprised if you do soon.

Why is that?

Because her youtube videos that we started posting

Are doing really, really well.

I thought you guys were gonna let me or mom

See 'em before you posted the stuff.

Sander says you guys posted videos on youtube

Without me or mom seeing them.

Yeah. Is that okay?

It's difficult to manage jazz and the kids' social media.

Things that they share publicly

Sometimes get picked up by media outlets,

And that means millions and millions of people

Are gonna know the information they're sharing.

I have to take a look.

Jazz:for this video, I wanted to talk about

My upcoming gender confirmation surgery.

I'm actually super excited for it.

It's coming up so soon.

June th is when I'm gonna --

You just said june th.

Okay. What's wrong with that?

Why don't you read my mind?

What do you think I would think is wrong with that?

♪♪

I can't believe the surgery is finally happening.

This is recently the first time that I'm getting flustered

And having butterflies in my stomach!

♪♪

You just said the surgery is gonna be june th.

Okay. What's wrong with that?

Why don't you read my mind?

What do you think I would think is wrong with that?

And they could do, what, break into the hospital

And come and execute me?

If I knew, I wouldn't have said june th,

But I don't think it's anything to freak out about.

But that doesn't mean that we need to supply them

With additional information.

If you're gonna be in a public space,

My concern is to make sure you're safe,

And this is unfortunately a polarizing topic to people.

There's people that show hatred towards you.

I do not think you should make...

-Jeanette: hey ho. -Oh.

-What's up? I'm home. -Saved by the...

...mom walking in. -Hey. What's up?

Why do you look so serious?

We posted a youtube video about the surgery,

And then I mentioned the date, june th.

I think dad is a little overreacting.

The internet is always a dangerous place,

Especially for transgender people.

Jazz has had an online presence for a very long time,

And most of the comments that jazz gets are very positive.

On the other hand, there's the haters

That we've had to deal with.

"Someone please sh**t it.

If not, I'm going to k*ll it myself

And make it die a horrible, painful death."

What the hell?

She needs to know that she has to protect herself

And there are people out there that don't like her.

I just don't worry about anything, like,

My security or safety.

Well, you need to think sometimes before you act.

-Dad, how worried are you? -I mean...

-Do we need security? -We may have to look into it.

The one or two people that are so far off

The deep end, that it just scares me.

Those kind of people that are just not

Within the realm of comprehension,

That's what I'm concerned about.

It only takes one person.

Now people could track us down on a certain date

At a certain time at a certain place.

Now we have a security issue. -Jazz: I'm sorry.

I definitely understand my dad's concern and feel bad

Because there's definitely too much

That you could share in certain situations.

I think sander and I learned our lesson and know

That we have to be more careful in the future.

It's wonderful what you're doing,

You want to share your story,

But the type of media that picks up on this

Like to sensationalize, and just so you know,

I just got off the phone with abc.

There's a reporter --

I don't know if you know who juju chang is.

She works on "nightline."

She's interested in having a sit-down

With you one-on-one to talk about your surgery,

Like, your final interview before you go

And have your bottom surgery.

Do I have to do it or...

It's just, like, a continuation of your story.

You're going full circle.

How close to the surgery?

We have pre-op meeting consult on monday.

It would be before monday. It's not a lot of time.

No. Un-uh.

Sometimes my mom books events first

And then she tells me about it, which is kind of annoying

Because I'm not sure how I feel about

Doing a serious interview days before my surgery.

It might be stressful to have to do something

Like that, like, right before the surgery.

"Nightline" is a little intense.

It's a very serious tone.

Abc has always been really good.

They don't grill you.

So this is more of a human interest story

Where they're just gonna talk to jazz

And let her explain what's going on.

Well, it's a continuation.

Like, we've followed your journey.

You're usually okay with things that are low-key

In a studio one-on-one.

Sometimes when you do interviews it's low-key and conversational.

Other times it's more, like, intense and...

No. It's just, like, a fluff piece.

Okay. I'll do the interview.

I'm just hoping that it's going to be a lighthearted piece

Where I just talk authentically about my life and story.

I don't want to do anything too stressful or too overbearing,

So I'm just trusting my mom.

♪♪

♪♪

I love these pants you bought me.

-I love shopping for you. -And these are cool, mom.

-Yeah, aren't they? -I got my cool kicks on.

-Aren't they? -I mean, I didn't realize

When I put them on that you had all these holes.

It's a bargain. It's another one of my bargains.

You couldn't tell there were holes in them

When they were in a ball.

I'm interested in seeing what my mother's reaction

Will be to the penis party.

My mom is / years old, and you never know.

She could be like, "a-ha-ha, that's funny," or, like,

"I don't know. It's inappropriate."

-How are you? -Good. Good.

I'm hanging in there.

I wanted to let you know about this party

That we're doing for jazz.

It's a farewell to penis party.

Gonna make... I'm gonna bake a cake...

- Laughs ] stop. Oh! -Like, I don't know.

Should we make the penis this big? Like...

You're kidding.

-Yeah. -In living color?

We can't make it look really penis penis-y...ish.

I gotta keep it g-rated for greg, and he said,

"How do you keep a penis g-rated?" I don't know.

Oh, jeanette. This is hysterical.

I wouldn't have thought of having farewell to the penis

Because coming from the era that I do,

These are the dirty little things that we don't talk about.

And here we are now. It's become water off a duck's back.

You know, it takes it full circle

To when she was such a little one and said,

"Mommy, when is the fairy gonna come along

And get rid of my penis and I can have a 'gina?"

And here we are. You're bringing home her dream.

Yeah.

My mom has been on this journey with us for a really long time.

She really didn't fight it. She didn't question it.

She watched, and she learned, and she supported,

And it's wonderful to see her evolution.

I want to fill you in a little bit

On what's going on in dad and my world.

Yeah.

Dad went under a cardiac ablation.

Right.

There was an extra what they call flutter, extra heartbeat.

-Yeah. -The ablation procedure,

That gizmo burns out the area that's overdoing.

And they did that.

And they did it, but within a few short days,

The flutter was back again.

Is he in pain?

He's getting a little more in discomfort.

Dad and I are in our golden years.

You're supposed to be living for another , .

Let's just go day by day.

I think jeanette has denial about the aging process,

But you gotta have some realism in life.

Parents do get older.

They do get sick, and they go on.

Jeanette: when you're a little kid,

You look at your parents like,

"They're going to live forever."

They're not gonna die. They're not allowed to.

They're your parents.

My dad is , but I look at them,

And they'reyoungolder people.

I'm not letting you go.

You're staying with me.

I can't do this world without you guys.

You know, it is what it is, and that's the deal.

In order to get a better look-see of what the doctor

Is working with, in a few days from now,

He goes into the doctor's office,

And they get a full picture of the heart.

This is a little more serious than your everyday checkup,

And I need to be there for me.

What eventually happens if you don't take care of it?

I can't go there.

♪♪

♪♪

Jeanette: we just need forks and knives.

Griffen: I think alexa is gonna be here in a couple minutes.

She just texted me.

There's chef griffen. Where you been, griff?

I been cooking.

Jeanette: griffen is adorable.

He is cooking dinner for all of us,

And he is trying to impress his girlfriend.

[ Knock on door ]

-Sounds like she's here! -Who is it?

-Hey. -Hello.

♪♪

Ew, cooties.

Griffen: this week, the family goes to new york

For jazz's surgery,

And honestly, alexa and I are inseparable.

We just love being together,

And when we're not, we miss each other a lot,

And I'm gonna miss her dearly.

We put you next to sander.

-My favorite. -Yes.

Sander: since the party,

It's definitely quieter between me and griffen,

And we have a lot of tension between us,

But at the same time, I have welcomed alexa

With open arms into my,

I guess, family right now because she's dating my brother.

Alexa: griffen usually will make me pasta at school,

So I'm used to this.

Me and my brother were so close for so long,

And it's definitely hard to transition into this new change.

So, alexa, what are you studying?

Right now I'm studying to be a physician assistant.

It's very similar to pre-med,

But it lets me get ahead quicker,

So I don't have to stay as many summers.

Summer is fun, though.

Summer is fun when people are there.

I was there.

Yeah. It's fun when you're there.

Sorry, guys. I had to keep her company.

When griffen is with his girlfriend,

His voice is a little bit quieter and, like, nicer.

-Yay! -Flowers are everywhere.

We want to take a trip to, like, a theme park or something.

We definitely want to plan something like that,

But first, your surgery.

Can you give me a general sense of how it's gonna work?

They take the object down below, and then they, like, invert it,

And then they create that, like, inside,

And then they're also gonna be, like,

Extracting my stomach lining.

It's called the peritoneum.

You could watch videos online.

Honestly, what I've known about

Being transgender is really limited,

But it's pretty interesting for me,

Especially the medical aspect of it.

There's not a lot of doctors

That can perform the procedure, right?

Not many. Not this particular one.

Only a handful in the world.

Jazz, do you know how long, like, the procedure is gonna

Last from when it starts to when it, like, finishes?

I think it's a couple hours.

Maybe, like, , hours. Maybe less. I don't know.

Alexa: I feel for jazz to be on this journey.

This bottom surgery is a more complicated procedure

Than I previously thought.

I give a lot of kudos for her for being so strong

And brave throughout this.

Yeah, I'll keep you posted.

The surgery is just week away.

Now I just want to embark upon this journey

With no worries, no fears, no doubts.

This is me, this is my choice, and I'm ready.

Thank you so much for coming. I hope you had fun.

I did. Thank you for having me.

♪♪

-Oh, welcome. -Are those penis straws?

-Yes. -Jazz: let's be honest.

Who doesn't want to come to a penis party?

There's just pee-pee overload for me going on.

Da-da-da-da!

Oh...my...gosh.

♪♪

-Summer is here. Whew. -It is africa hot.

-Okay, let's go penis shopping. -[ Laughs ]

Today I'm going shopping for jazz's farewell to penis party,

And I'm bringing along my sister-in-law, who is great.

She's a ball of energy. She's fun.

-We have to greggy-ize it. -Yes.

It's like, we can't go too raunchy.

-I found straws. -Penis straws?

-Penis straws. -Ooh.

Like, everything is phallic.

Like, everything. Everything is... Jala-penis-o's.

We could do jala-penis poppers.

These are thicker. This looks like a dilator.

-Oh, goodness. -Oh, wait.

This looks like a penis.

This is what the case is gonna look like.

So the cake is going to look like this.

Okay.

And then what I'm gonna do is,

I'm gonna put a smiley face on it.

It'll be a happy penis.

Kim: jeanette is keeping her sense of humor

And keeping things light going into the surgery.

She knows it's a big surgery,

And there's just so much seriousness around her.

I think it's really good that we do something

To just make a little light of it.

I mean, we all realize how serious this is.

So she's ready. She's not nervous.

I've never seen anything like it.

She's, like, at peace and almost euphoric.

Like, she wants this.

And she gets to have it done finally.

I know, finally.

Jazz's surgery is looming like a big tsunami headed our way,

And even though this party is silly,

There is a part of it that is serious.

In certain ways, this is symbolic for me

To say goodbye to this body that was never meant to be,

But I gave birth to that body, you know?

For a mother, it's tough.

It's not easy, so let's have fun with it

And not think about, like, all the sad part of this

Because it really is a wonderful thing.

♪♪

♪♪

Jack: do you want to get in this side?

No, I think the other side.

Hi, sweetheart. Oh, hi.

-Good morning. -How are you?

Oh, he's opening the door for you. How nice.

Yes, my sir galahad with a flutter.

[ Laughs ]

Today I'm taking my parents to the doctors.

My dad is gonna have an e.k.g.

To find out what's going on with his heart.

I'm very optimistic, but when it comes to the heart,

It makes you scared, you know?

This is a little more serious than your everyday,

You know, checkup.

Do you think doctors have problem

When their patients are doctors?

Do you think it's helpful or annoying to them?

You know, doctors who visit doctors, it's a different story.

Yeah. I can imagine.

Unfortunately, I know too much.

I mean, I've spent years treating people with diseases.

I'm not supposed to have them.

As far as having a medical problem,

It gives me some concern.

It also makes me realize my mortality

To a greater extent, that every day is not gonna be

A perfectly healthy day for me until I get rid of the problem.

My major concern is we have a lot of things happening.

Jazz's forthcoming surgery.

-Mm-hmm. -We want to go to new york.

I want to know if I can travel on a plane.

Haven't we seen people get on airplanes who are in walkers

And they have oxygen tubing coming out of their noses?

I mean, you're going into new york city,

Not the deepest, darkest areas

Of the rain forest in south america.

If, god forbid, you needed care, you've got the biggest city

And the best hospitals and the best care.

Jazz is going to mt. Sinai/beth israel,

And that's the hospital I was born in,

And I hope it's not the hospital I end it in.

-Oh, god. -I'm sorry.

I know. I have a sick sense of humor.

-That's not good. -No, no, no. I'm sorry.

I hope I can run to new york with the family

Because we've always been very supportive

In everything that happened in this family.

The thought of not being there when jazz is undergoing

Such immense surgery is unthinkable.

How do you think jazz will handle the post-op period?

We have no idea.

Unfortunately, it's a very difficult area for surgery.

You know, I don't want to frighten you,

But there's a lot of potential pain and discomfort.

They don't know mentally how jazz is gonna react.

-Jacky: can't measure that. -That's the thing.

I would truly be devastated if my dad

Is told that he can't come with us,

Not just because he's a physician

But because I am counting on him to be my daddy.

So we're gonna go right in this room.

Okay. Right here?

-Yes. -Okay. Good.

-Hey. -Hi, dr. Rosenbaum.

Good to see you again. -Good to see you.

When jack is first found to have atrial flutter,

We did an ablation of the flutter,

And now he's having a different arrhythmia

Called atrial fibrillation.

You had atrial flutter,

Which was in the right upper chamber,

Going around and around like this,

And this happens because there's scar tissue down here.

When there's scar tissue in here,

There's often scar tissue over here in the left upper chamber,

The same reason.

Now you got atrial fibrillation.

Wow.

The number one risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter

Is the risk of stroke.

Normally, your upper chambers are squeezing blood,

And when you're fibrillating or fluttering,

The upper chambers are just kind of wiggling around

And not moving any blood.

If blood isn't moved, it sits. If it sits, it can clot.

If it clots, it can fly off to the brain and give you a stroke.

They've also found that atrial fibrillation

Makes you not live as long,

And there's an increased chance of dementia.

I'm getting a little nervous sitting here,

Wondering how it's all going.

Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of problems.

How's that?

Well, in some ways, jazz's surgery

And the timing on a positive side diverts all of us.

It gets us off our own stuff.

Well, she is my own stuff.

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Like, i... -Don't.

In my years of marriage to your father,

There have been a few surgeries along the way,

And it's an acceptance of this is the way it is.

I thought that I'd really take a nosedive

Right out the window with everything that's going on.

Yeah, I'm waiting for you to take the nosedive.

Like, what's going on?

No, I think that it's letting life in.

There is a reality in me -- I am very much a realist --

And I can only go so far and do so many things.

The final thing is not up to me.

♪♪

Come sit down and share.

Did you get a good report card?

-Yes and no. -What do you mean no?

-Let's talk about yes. -Yes.

-One is I can fly. -Good.

-Yay! -That's the...

-And go to new york? -Yes.

-Two is, am I cured? No. -No?

You were formerly married to a flutterer,

And now I'm a fibrillator.

When they got rid of my flutter,

Out of the closet comes another event called fibrillation,

And that's coming from the other side of the heart.

So july th, I'm going to have a procedure,

And it's a little more complicated.

Over the years, I've never had to worry,

And all of a sudden, it's like,

"What? I have to think about my dad's health?"

I'm trying to be optimistic and take things in stride,

But I don't know how long we're gonna be in new york city.

It could be several weeks, and I want to be there for him

And my mom when he has this procedure,

And I may not be able to be there,

Which is upsetting.

I'm probably gonna hold off telling the kids

The details right now until after...

I think that's a good idea. I agree with that.

...jazz's surgery because I know they worry about you,

And, you know, we don't usually keep secrets in this family,

But right now, the timing is a little rough,

And I think it calls for some hush-hush.

With jazz's surgery coming up, it's like,

"Do I really need to worry the kids about grandpa

When this is going on?"

Why add another stressor?

Especially for jazz, because she'll be miserable.

It would be awful for her.

♪♪

Jazz: heading into this interview, I feel confident.

I've watched so many of your interviews, like,

With deborah roberts and katie couric.

You've talked to all of my colleagues.

Greg: juju references some critical interviews in the past.

It sets my guard up that she might not be throwing softballs.

♪♪

♪♪

Sander: whoa! Is that penis mac and cheese?

It's maca-weenie and cheese.

Maca-weenie and cheese?

Jacky: but is it shaped a certain way?

-Like a penis. -Oh, I see.

Oh, my...okay.

[ Gasps ] there's so much food. What the heck?

Let's be honest. Who doesn't want to come to a penis party?

[ Laughs ] they're kind of flaccid right now.

I went out with a guy that was shaped like that.

Hi! Oh, welcome!

Oh, look at you in your overalls.

Yes. This is fun.

Cheers. Yay!

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Where did that go? There it is, on the floor...

Just like my penis will go on the floor.

-Sander: say, "weenies." -All: weenies!

-Hey, dad! -Hey, it's the party girl!

I got you something for a good hard day at work.

Get that out of my face.

There's more where that came from.

There's just pee-pee overload for me going on.

I'm just falling into way too much.

I always say to jeanette,

"Sometimes you're just a little too too."

I could have gone...

This was a little too too for me.

Listen, I could have gone far worse than that.

-I know you could have. -I tamed it down.

Everything is penis-related, and I just feel uncomfortable.

I look left, penis.

I look right, penis. I look down...

Penis.

[ Both laugh ]

Have you ever seen so much wieners in your life?

That's a very private conversation.

Sander: I think grandma and grandpa are fascinated

By the idea of the goodbye penis party.

I keep messing with my grandma,

And she's just drowning in penis.

[ Both laugh ]

Too far, bro.

Jazz: we'll get to explore the city,

Do some different things.

Show?

I don't know if we're gonna go to a show,

But I'm doing an interview with juju chang.

Ooh!

She's, like, a newscaster for abc,

So I'm gonna do, like,

A final interview before the surgery.

Before the surgery. Oh, perfect.

It's tuesday that it's happening.

I can't wait for wednesday.

She's got the best attitude, and we just roll right through it.

Do you have a time span for yourself?

We're getting letters written,

And we're picking out a surgeon right now.

So you're moving along? You really are.

No, what happened?

Nice!

It kind of makes me a little bit jealous

That jazz is less than a week away from getting her surgery.

It's something that I've wanted a long time,

And jazz kind of serves as, like, my little guinea pig

To see how that'll turn out.

This is a nice party. Yeah, a nice little party.

Everyone's here to say bye to my penis.

It's really humbling to see everyone here supporting me

In this big step in my journey.

I am so grateful, and everyone is just so loving and caring.

Okay, everybody.

We have some parents for our dear jazz

To celebrate the new you, even though it's not a new you.

It's you, but just a, you know, slight change.

-A big change. -A teeny weeny change.

[ Laughter ]oh!

Jack: today we're gonna call you the belle of the balls,

But that's only a temporary thing.

[ Laughter ]

Jacky: we've come a long way with a lot of ups and downs

And ins and outs, and here we are.

"Good things come to those who squat."

Jacky: I think surgery is a missing link

That will make jazz feel more complete.

It's been what she's wanted from the time

She was a little one and said, "I a girl,"

Not, "I want to be a girl."

Jack: and now it's finally arrived.

What are these? Are these leggings?

Ooh.

'Cause I'm gonna be able to wear leggings soon!

It's really great to get all of these gifts

Because they represent something related to my transition.

Being able to wearing leggings is just gonna be so amazing,

So all of these gifts are really special.

All right, there's two things in that.

Are these...

It's the rainbow bathing suit!

[ Cheering ]

Jeanette: when jazz turned ,

We had her first really big birthday party.

She wore this glorious rainbow bathing suit.

That was the first time she presented publicly as a girl.

Jazz: it was really a major turning point in my life.

For the first time, in front of all my friends and their family,

I just was able to be the girl I always knew I was,

And everyone was able to see that,

So it's really meaningful to receive

This sparkly rainbow bathing suit.

Da-da-da-da!

Oh...my...gosh.

-Cut the -- -speech! Speech! Speech.

I just wanted to thank you all

For coming to this farewell penis party.

You know, for / years,

I've lived with this body part that I have not wanted,

And even though I've grown to love my penis for what it is,

I'm happy to say goodbye. So...

Let's cut it up!

Jeanette: oh!

Sander: ask me about my wiener!

Let's hope the surgeons are a little better than you are.

-I know, right? [ Laughter ]

I guess it's like a funeral, in a way.

Like, farewell to penis and, you know, we're burying you

In our bellies as we eat you.

[ Laughs ]

That's what it is.

[ Indistinct conversations, laughter ]

Come on, admit it, greg. Admit it.

I would have liked to tone this party down a little bit,

But at the end of the day, I think the party was a success.

Jazz: who wants to eat a testicle?

♪♪

♪♪

So what are you gonna pack?

Like, just comfy clothes, dresses?

Dresses 'cause, like, I'm not gonna be able

To put pants on, like, maybe shorts,

But definitely not, like, jeans or anything tight.

What kind of underwears are you gonna wear?

I kind of want to buy, like, diaper underwear just for this.

Ari: in the past, I've tried to imagine putting myself

In my sister's shoes,

Trying to see how I would feel if I woke up in the wrong body,

And I truly just can't imagine.

I just can't.

This is so awesome, and as long as she's feeling okay,

I'm feeling okay.

I can't believe the surgery is finally happening.

This is really the first time that I'm getting flustered

And having butterflies in my stomach.

I'm so excited.

I just want everyone to, like,

Keep me at peace of mind, though.

I don't want anyone to freak out.

Who do you think is freaking out the most in our family?

I don't think anyone is freaking out,

But I could definitely see in mom that she's a little...

You know, she's mom.

Wanna pack for me? I hate packing.

I gotta pack for myself.

Listen, I want to do something for my dad

Because he's in new york where he grew up.

I would really love to do, like,

One of those family photos where we all dress alike.

Is your dad like you? He doesn't like surprises?

No, he doesn't mind surprises.

I think he'll be up for it. You know, it'd be nice...

A distraction to keep his mind off his own procedure.

Jack's situation is definitely a wake-up call

That you can't take good health for granted.

Jack is the epitome of somebody

Who is always paying attention to what he's eating, drinking,

And, you know, some things are out of your control.

It sounds like july th is gonna be the date

That my dad is going to have the procedure.

You might not even be back yet, right?

Yeah. I hate the timing on this. Like, it's so stressful.

With my dad's procedure, jazz's surgery,

The abc interview, we have a lot on our plate.

It's a lot to deal with. It's like the perfect storm.

♪♪

I've watched so many of your interviews, like,

With deborah roberts and katie couric.

Greg: juju references some critical interviews in the past.

It sets my guard up a little bit.

There are some people who will think,

"Well, maybe her parents brainwashed her."

This is not a fluff piece.

♪♪

♪♪

-Me! -Me!

Huh?

Woman over p.a.: If you're just joining us,

Good morning and welcome aboard.

We will have a full flight today...

Jazz: there's definitely a sense of happiness among my family

Because we're all just so excited for what's to come.

This surgery is gonna be a major turning point in my life.

♪♪

Jeanette: hi. I'm closed up on your nostril.

I'm getting terrible video footage.

-Mom? -Yeah?

-Can you turn your head around? -What, around? So...

Yeah, there you go. Just look...

I'd look like "the exorcist" to get around this.

I think it's extremely important to jazz

And the rest of the family that we're there for her

Throughout her entire surgery and the recovery.

We need to make sure we're all putting all our eggs

Into one basket and taking care of jazz.

Stop with the eggs in a basket, bro.

That doesn't make sense.

Eggs in a basket is important, bro.

Jeanette: this really is a trip of a lifetime.

It's a wonderful thing for jazz. Her dream is coming true.

♪♪

[ Siren wailing in distance ]

So what is this, our fourth collaboration with abc?

-Jeanette: more than that. -Going back all the way to .

We've been on "the view," too, so...

Oh, gosh. I didn't even count that.

This is it.

Jazz: heading into this interview, I feel confident

Because my mom has reassured me

That this "nightline" interview with juju chang

Is gonna be a lighthearted piece.

Jeanette: do we know what kind of questions they're gonna ask?

Probably about the surgery.

Are you prepared to discuss all of the details?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Don't feel like you have to answer every question

If there's something that you don't feel like answering.

Yeah, I know.

Well, she's in a good mood.

That's a good thing.

But I hope she's a little filtered,

'Cause sometimes when she's got this kind of upbeat energy...

-Oh, no. -...it's, like, no filter.

I mean, I don't know how much juju knows about, like,

The way jazz can put things and say things, like,

"I want the perfect vag*na. I want it to be pretty.

I want it to look nice," and juju be like,

"Wow, t.m.i. Too much information."

Jeanette: over the years, we have become very desensitized.

We talk about penises and vaginas so much in my family

That we probably shock other people.

While it is important to share her story

And reach a lot of people,

I also know that jazz sometimes doesn't have the filter

As to what she shares.

Focus.

This is news.

I know. I don't work well with...

-Keep it... -I'm not a formal person.

I understand, but in this context,

Try to think about that just a little bit.

-Hello! -Oh, there she is.

Hi! How are you?

I'm juju. Oh, my goodness!

I feel like I know you... Nice to meet you.

...just because I know so much about you.

Thank you for letting us pop in on this part of your life.

Any questions you have for me?

No, I don't think so.

I have a lot of questions for you.

But that's for over there.

You're so good at it.

I've watched so many of your interviews, like,

With deborah roberts and katie couric.

You've talked to all of my colleagues.

Juju references some critical interviews in the past.

It sets my guard up a little bit

That she might not be throwing softballs,

And she may be throwing some hard pitches.

I'm ready.

So, mike whenever you're ready, we can mic her up.

Mike who does the mics.

Yeah. That's funny.

Well, actually, she's almost like

She's just hanging out with a friend.

Woman: we're about ready to start.

Okay. Ready, one, two, three.

You've been so public about your entire path.

Does that make it easier or harder

To be a trans teen, do you think?

I think, for me, I've always been so honest

About who I am as a person,

And being transgender, I feel like it's something

That I couldn't hide no matter what.

There are some people who will forever think,

"Well, maybe her parents brainwashed her.

Maybe she was too young to know. Maybe, maybe, maybe."

This is not a fluff piece.

♪♪

What do you say to your critics who would argue it's t.m.i?

Greg: juju did her homework.

Jeanette: it got intense at times.

This exam feels different 'cause this is the final exam.

I think it would be probably a good idea

To talk about possible complications.

It's not uncommon for the skin edges to come apart.

-What do we do right away? -Call --.

Griffen: since I've been in a relationship...

You just punched me in the nose.

...sander and I have more tension,

And it's just getting worse.

Bitch.

I'm having some medical problems,

And I'm going into a procedure myself.

They had two beloved members of the family,

And both are going under major surgeries almost simultaneously.

Honestly, like, I've been waiting for this my whole life,

And now it's time.

Jeanette: [ crying ] she's waited for this for song long.

It's here, and I'm just happy for her.

-Be strong in there, all right? -Yeah.

Man: she's the most difficult case that I have encountered.

This is the first time

This exact surgery has ever been done.

Now we just have to sit and wait.

I don't even want to think right now about what's going on.

Oh, my god.