The Stadium Green at Soldier Field was full of laughter, music and the smells of local food trucks on July 16 for TLC's second-ever Block Party event.
For the celebration, the television channel flew in stars from hit shows like Cake Boss, Say Yes to the Dress and Long Island Medium to meet their fans. Amid all the chaos, Jazz Jennings, the 15-year-old star of the reality show I Am Jazz was poised and graceful when greeting her seemingly never-ending line of fans.
Her show follows her life as a transgender teen experiencing everything from swimsuit shopping and soccer practice to attending trans support groups and discussing gender-confirmation surgery.
Jennings said that through telling her story so openly and often, she hopes to "to create positive change, not just for trans people but for everyone. I'm not going to stop sharing my story until I no longer need to share it... Visibility leads to education and education leads to acceptance."
In addition to her show, which won Outstanding Reality Program at the 27th annual GLAAD Media Awards, Jennings is an outspoken advocate for trans rights, even writing a memoir, Being Jazz: My Life as a ( Transgender ) Teen.
"I think sharing my experiences and gearing it toward transgender teenagers is important," she said. "Not only is being a teenager hard, but being a transgender teenager can be even more difficult, especially when society isn't on your side. I really wrote my book so they could have a resource that shows them they aren't alone in this journey."
For all of her hard work and advocacy, she was named one of Time's The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014.
"I squealed when I found out [I was on the list]," Jennings said. "It's a huge honor to know that everything I've done is actually making a difference and helping other people. It's just awesome."