Returning: I Am Jazz

US reality series I Am Jazz, which profiles 16 year old transgender Jazz Jennings returns for its third season on TLC soon.

Jennings (pictured left) was one of the youngest people in America to attract public attention as identifying as transgender following a 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters.

Life as a teenage girl can be difficult enough. But for 16-year-old Jazz Jennings, the struggles of being a teenager are amplified by the unique challenges of being a transgender girl on the cusp of making the biggest decision of her life; gender reassignment surgery. I Am Jazz returns to TLC Monday 24 September at 9.30pm, as the inspiring teen shares a window into her world and highlights the issues faced by transgender youth today.

Although assigned male at birth, Jazz is a transgender female and has been living as a girl since kindergarten. Her parents Jeanette and Greg and siblings Ari, Griffen and Sander have stood side by side with Jazz as she’s battled discrimination, hate speech, online bullying, and other misconceptions associated with what it means to be transgender. As she looks to move forward with gender confirmation surgery, her decision becomes more complex when she finds out that her options are more limited than she initially thought.

The new season starts as Jazz is due to begin her sophomore year of high school. Jeanette, has concerns that Jazz’s depression might resurface as she struggles to be social in school. Jazz also meets with her endocrinologist, Dr. Charlton, who gives her the green light for gender reassignment surgery. While she’s adamant that she wants to have the procedure done before she finishes high school, Greg still has some hesitations about her making this life-changing decision at the age of 16.

Along with being a full-time student, Jazz devotes much of her time to being a transgender activist, sharing her story with people across the United States and the world in an effort to educate and inspire others. She was named one of “The 25 Most Influential Teens” in 2014 and 2015 by Time Magazine. In 2014, Jazz co-wrote a children’s picture book, I am Jazz. Jazz’s memoir, Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen was released in June 2016. In August that year she was named one of Teen Vogue’s “21 under 21.” Jazz and her parents founded the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to support transgender youth and their families.

9:30pm Monday September 24 on TLC.