I was hopping around on YouTube and came across this clip featuring Jazz Jennings from TLC's "I Am Jazz" during a televised debate with Tomi Lahren from "The Blaze." Keep in mind that I'm only vaguely aware of whom Tomi Lahren is, but she apparently has strong opinions against trans rights and has expressed those opinions on her program more than a few times. Mainly, she argues against trans-inclusive rights by arguing that male rapists will take advantage of them to sexually assault women and children. Tomi apparently invited Jazz and Jessica Herthel, Jazz's co-writer on their I Am Jazz children's book, onto her program to debate the transgender experience.
The interview starts with Tomi asking Jazz what conservatives are getting wrong about the transgender experience. Jazz responds that too many conservatives are stuck on the idea that being trans is all about choice, like she woke up one day and decided to become a girl. She denied that this was true, asserting that she was communicating to everyone from her earliest years that she was a girl.
Tomi then asked her why Jazz and others like her need to surgically change their bodies. Jazz told her that surgery is a choice that she's making to bring her body further in line with her mental and emotional identity. Frankly, I don't see why it's any of Tomi's business (or anyone else's) if Jazz or other trans people have gender reassignment surgery -- or if they choose against that choice.
Tomi ultimately decides that she's okay with gender reassignment surgery -- as long as she doesn't have to pay for it. Which... whatever. I mean, does that mean that she doesn't want Medicaid to fund it? Private insurance? There are a lot of medical procedures and treatments that are funded by Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance and we all technically pay for them to one extent or another through our taxes or premiums. How do you parse out the cost of one person's surgery from your group insurance policy?
Anyway, Jessica then shifted the conversation to the whole "bathroom bill" debate. Tomi is still worried about "sick individuals" who claim trans identities to assault women in public bathrooms. Jessica noted that there have been zero incidents of such assaults happening in the 17 states that have trans-inclusive bathroom laws. She also noted that Jazz herself and others like her are more at risk in laws that bar trans people from using the public restrooms that line up with their gender identity.
And that was pretty much the gist of Jazz's debate with Tomi Lahren. Basically, a rehash of similar debates between trans people and anti-trans people.
The interview starts with Tomi asking Jazz what conservatives are getting wrong about the transgender experience. Jazz responds that too many conservatives are stuck on the idea that being trans is all about choice, like she woke up one day and decided to become a girl. She denied that this was true, asserting that she was communicating to everyone from her earliest years that she was a girl.
Tomi then asked her why Jazz and others like her need to surgically change their bodies. Jazz told her that surgery is a choice that she's making to bring her body further in line with her mental and emotional identity. Frankly, I don't see why it's any of Tomi's business (or anyone else's) if Jazz or other trans people have gender reassignment surgery -- or if they choose against that choice.
Tomi ultimately decides that she's okay with gender reassignment surgery -- as long as she doesn't have to pay for it. Which... whatever. I mean, does that mean that she doesn't want Medicaid to fund it? Private insurance? There are a lot of medical procedures and treatments that are funded by Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance and we all technically pay for them to one extent or another through our taxes or premiums. How do you parse out the cost of one person's surgery from your group insurance policy?
Anyway, Jessica then shifted the conversation to the whole "bathroom bill" debate. Tomi is still worried about "sick individuals" who claim trans identities to assault women in public bathrooms. Jessica noted that there have been zero incidents of such assaults happening in the 17 states that have trans-inclusive bathroom laws. She also noted that Jazz herself and others like her are more at risk in laws that bar trans people from using the public restrooms that line up with their gender identity.
And that was pretty much the gist of Jazz's debate with Tomi Lahren. Basically, a rehash of similar debates between trans people and anti-trans people.