Why mermaid tails are important to Jazz Jennings’ journey as a woman
“Most of all I loved mermaids … I felt a pull towards [them],” explains Jennings, “It’s so cool how there’s this deep connection between mermaids and the transgender community because they have no genitalia, they just have this long, beautiful tale to replace that body part that dictates who we are so often, and mermaids are practically genderless.”
As it would turn out, mermaids would play more than just a symbolic part in Jazz’s transition. “My mom .. found a group online called ‘Mermaids’ in the earlier stages of my transition,” Jennings recounted, “they confirmed that transgender people did exist, and that gave her the green light to say, ‘okay, maybe I need to help my child out by transitioning from he to she pronouns, and socially transition by growing my hair out long and just being able to express myself as the girl that I knew I was.’” When Jennings finally succeeded in making her first silicone tail, she felt what can only be described as a sense of pride and relief. “Making this tale at age twelve represented my girlhood so much to me because, obviously, we all want to be strong, independent proud women,” she reflected, “this mermaid tale just erases my gender completely and … allows me to flow and express myself underwater as this beautiful creature.”
Jazz Jennings Reveals The Reason Behind Her Love Of Mermaids
John Lamparski/Getty Images
By Hanna Claeson/Oct. 28, 2020 12:24 pm EST
Why mermaid tails are important to Jazz Jennings’ journey as a woman
“Most of all I loved mermaids … I felt a pull towards [them],” explains Jennings, “It’s so cool how there’s this deep connection between mermaids and the transgender community because they have no genitalia, they just have this long, beautiful tale to replace that body part that dictates who we are so often, and mermaids are practically genderless.”
As it would turn out, mermaids would play more than just a symbolic part in Jazz’s transition. “My mom .. found a group online called ‘Mermaids’ in the earlier stages of my transition,” Jennings recounted, “they confirmed that transgender people did exist, and that gave her the green light to say, ‘okay, maybe I need to help my child out by transitioning from he to she pronouns, and socially transition by growing my hair out long and just being able to express myself as the girl that I knew I was.’” When Jennings finally succeeded in making her first silicone tail, she felt what can only be described as a sense of pride and relief. “Making this tale at age twelve represented my girlhood so much to me because, obviously, we all want to be strong, independent proud women,” she reflected, “this mermaid tale just erases my gender completely and … allows me to flow and express myself underwater as this beautiful creature.”
As it would turn out, mermaids would play more than just a symbolic part in Jazz’s transition. “My mom .. found a group online called ‘Mermaids’ in the earlier stages of my transition,” Jennings recounted, “they confirmed that transgender people did exist, and that gave her the green light to say, ‘okay, maybe I need to help my child out by transitioning from he to she pronouns, and socially transition by growing my hair out long and just being able to express myself as the girl that I knew I was.’”
When Jennings finally succeeded in making her first silicone tail, she felt what can only be described as a sense of pride and relief. “Making this tale at age twelve represented my girlhood so much to me because, obviously, we all want to be strong, independent proud women,” she reflected, “this mermaid tale just erases my gender completely and … allows me to flow and express myself underwater as this beautiful creature.”
