Transgender Teen Jazz Jennings Talks Bullying and Suicide Prevention on The Meredith Vieira Show—Watch

14-year-old was on The Meredith Vieira Show

By Lily Harrison Mar 26, 2015 7:32 PMTags

Jazz Jennings wants teens to know that while it may not be easy, things will get better.

The 14-year-old LGBTQ rights activist stopped by The Meredith Vieira Show where she discussed being bullied in school, staying strong and she even gave advice to kids facing the same struggles on a daily basis.

"There are sometimes kids who talk behind my back or say mean things. A lot of boys avoid me or sometimes they can be really rude or make me feel excluded and I just have to keep moving forward and not care what they think," the teen told Meredith Vieira.

"If I stay strong and be myself then their opinion doesn't matter at all and that's what I do every day…Although it may sound like something hard, I was born with inner confidence and with the love and support from my family I was able to become more confident throughout my life. So I was able to push aside those things."

Jennings also touched on the alarming rate of suicide attempts within the transgender community, and how she does her best to help each person who reaches out to her.

"A lot of times I get messages from kids who are struggling. Sometimes they say they walk in front of a street full of cars or they are about to jump out of a window and they say the reason they didn't do it was because of Jazz and that's why I keep sharing my story because I know I am making a difference and creating change and helping those kids," she shared.

"I tell [kids] to stay strong and love themselves no matter what."

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Transgender people who need someone to talk to can also call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.