Since last year's news that Tonner Doll was changing in a big way, there was nothing more - not even an inkling towards the new direction the company, actually the two companies now, Tonner and Phyn and Aero, will take. Until now. Next weekend, during Toy Fair 2017, Tonner will present a new doll, Jazz Jennings. But it is not just a doll. It is one based on a real person. A transgender person.
Tonner unfortunately did not even bother to email their client list about the doll, posting instead on their Facebook account the article about their press release from another website. The doll photo is from Jennings' own Facebook page. All we know is that it was approved by Jazz and her parents and it will be an 18" vinyl doll sculpted by Robert Tonner, available in specialty stores and on www.tonnerdoll.com in July, 2017. So who is Jazz Jennings?
16 year old Jazz Jennings, transgender star of TLC's docuseries "I Am Jazz", is an honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation. Jazz speaks at universities, medical schools, conferences, conventions and symposiums all over the country. She's also a You Tube Vlogger, a youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign and an advocate for GLAAD. Jazz is the youngest person ever to be recognised in The Advocate Magazine's, "Top Forty Under 40" annual list. She was named as one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential Teens for 2014 and 2015. She is also listed on Huffington Post's 14 Most Fearless Teens of 2014.