Interview with Jessica Herthel, Co-Author of “I Am Jazz”
How did you get connected to Jazz Jennings?
I met Jazz's mom at a regional committee tasked with creating safer schools in Florida. Through our friendship, we decided to introduce our families; I took that opportunity to explain what "transgender" meant to my three daughters, the youngest of whom was four years old at the time.
What made you both decide to write this book?
The ease with which my own kids processed the information about Jazz being transgender triggered a lightbulb going off in my head: why are adults making this so complicated? Why aren't more non-LGBT families talking about this with their kids? What resources could we create that would help both transgender AND cisgender kids talk about gender identity in an age-appropriate way? And so, while neither Jazz nor I had any experience writing a children's book (I was a former lawyer), we started writing.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The toughest part was deciding what the tone of the book should be. Would it be most effective if it was written from a parent's point of view? From Jazz's perspective? In the third person? We wrote seven possible versions of the book, all radically different; but in the end, we went with the most straightforward approach.
How has the book been received?
As you can imagine, the reactions have been wildly mixed. On the one hand, we have received fan mail from around the world, some letters describing kids who sleep with the book under their pillows at night, because it is so dear to them; on the other hand, there were the predictable accusations that the book is a "recruitment" tool into some left-wing agenda. That said, the fact that our book regularly appears on the list of the top ten most banned books in America is a source of pride for us, as it indicates that conversations are taking place about trans youth that might not otherwise have happened.
Can you speak about the work you do traveling to schools to talk about the book?
While going to elementary schools to present the book is one of my favorite things to do, unfortunately those opportunities have been far less frequent under the current administration. The issue of transgender rights has been politicized to the point that school administrators are afraid to talk about it, for fear of being seen as taking a political side. But of course, the safety of our children is an issue that affects every family, regardless of political affiliation!
What has your experience been like sharing the book with non-profit organizations and politicians?
It never ceases to delight us to see I Am Jazz being read on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives every year: we are particularly indebted to Congresswoman Jackie Speier and Congresswoman Angie Craig for their leadership. These legislators demonstrate the critical importance of unapologetic positive messaging around LGBTQ issues: young people who have become used to feeling invisible can experience great and lasting empowerment by seeing public officials raising their voices as allies (and proud members of the community themselves!).
What is your advice for other people who want to be good allies to the transgender community?
It can be tough, but my advice is the old saying, if you see something, say something. Homophobia and transphobia under the guise of "humor" has been permitted for too long. It's time for allies to use their privilege for good, and to call out ignorant or hateful conduct by name so that eventually, it stops.
Do you have hopes or plans to write additional books?
There is still so much work to be done to raise awareness and understanding of trans kids, and so many communities who could still benefit from reading I Am Jazz to their families. This keeps me adequately busy for now!
