View this post on Instagram[1]
At the start of 2020, Jazz Jennings proudly reflected on how her gender confirmation surgery shaped her last decade. The 19-year-old author, actor, and LGBTQ+ advocate promoted self-love with a gallery of photos on Instagram featuring her upper-thigh scars.
"These are my scars on full display in #2019. I'm proud of my scars and love my body just the way it is," Jennings wrote. "I call them my battle wounds because they signify the strength and perseverance it took to finally complete my transition❤️."
This message of acceptance is right in line with Jazz's core philosophy [3]. She previously told POPSUGAR, "I have gender dysphoria, which means that your external body doesn't reflect your inner identity. So often, especially before I got bottom surgery, I would look in the mirror and [be] sad to see my own body. You should love your body."
"There was a lot of insecurity in that and a lot of frustration because it's this feeling of kind of feeling trapped; and you know, for some reason the trans community doesn't like using that word, but that's just how I felt. I really did feel trapped in the wrong body." Luckily, she found more peace with herself following her surgery and uses her journey to inspire others. Here's to a new decade dedicated to embracing oneself!