Avery Jackson made history as the first transgender individual to grace the cover of National Geographic. Now, Avery has advocated gender rights alongside their family, who previously had deep-rooted beliefs in religion.
At age 9, Avery Jackson appeared on the cover with tangles of pink-streaked hair, comfy pink leggings, and a powerful gaze as they had lived as a boy until 2012. The child knew about their orientation from a young age without the influence of their family or friends.
Growing up, Avery felt they were a girl deep inside and knew the importance of understanding one’s feelings.
As the magazine’s cover gained attention, Avery mentioned, “By putting myself more out there, people will be able to know that I am transgender and proud and learn more about issues.“
Moreover, her mother, Debi, revealed that she noticed drastic changes in her daughter. Once a happy, outgoing child, Avery began isolating herself between 3 and 4 and withdrawing from preschool.
However, Avery loved dressing up in princess attire and doing makeup, and their parents thought that they were a gay boy and were satisfied with the concept.
Later, during a family Target run, Avery suddenly remarked, “You think I’m a boy, but you know I’m a girl on the inside, right?“
Further, their mother revealed that Avery only attended school when dressed in pink from head to toe. The family conducted several tests and genetic therapies and came to terms with the fact that their child was transgender.
As years passed by, living in Missouri became difficult for the family due to the state’s law on transgender people and their rights. The move was difficult, but Avery Jackson and their family now live in an undisclosed location that is more welcoming to the gender-affirming process.
Avery Jackson and her parents looked for community where queer people could live freely!
While packing away 15 years of their Missouri house, Debi mentioned that the change felt weird and forceful. Moreover, her husband, Tom, had to close up his chiropractor business, which he had worked for over a decade, and leave the state for a peaceful community.
Despite their plans to move, Debi and Avery actively fought the bills, attacking the LGBTQ+ community and supporting causes that spoke against the anti-queer legislation across the U.S.
During the journey, Avery was subjected to inappropriate questions by the Senator during committee hearings, taking a toll on her mental health.
Moreover, Avery’s supporter helped their mother set up a GoFundMe account to help the family during their difficult transition.
Moving states is expensive, and the family aimed to raise over $20,000 from the platform, out of which $15,613 has been raised through 262 donations.
Talking about her situation, Debi posted a picture on Instagram with Avery and their brother Anson. She captioned the post, “The last 365 days have been difficult. Those things take time. But there’s also laughter and happiness. We. Are. Home.“
The state of Missouri has banned gender-affirming care for minors. Similarly, politicians sponsoring the ban, including Mike Moon, claimed that the move was initiated to protect children from any violence.
Since the bill’s passing, thousands of people like Avery have left the state, searching for safer communities. Previously, Avery grew up in a religious household as her parents were conservative Southern Baptists.
Over the years, Avery’s parents have transformed their beliefs to align with their child, and as of 2020, Debi wasn’t even Evangelical. Meanwhile, Avery limited her media presence due to criticism that she didn’t look ‘feminine enough.’
In 2023, Avery met President Joe Biden during a Pride event and publicly changed her pronouns from she/her to they/them.
Additional Information
- Debi and her husband home-schooled Avery Jackson to protect them from hateful comments from the community. However, most of their friends and teachers supported the move and often visited them before the family moved out of Missouri.
- Avery traveled to seven blue states and visited two cities before selecting their new home. Recently, their family attended the Pride Parade to support the people as much as possible.
