Chastity Bono to Come Out as Transgender

by Michael Jones · 2009-06-11 14:34:00 UTC
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Chastity BonoLongtime LGBT activist (and child of Sonny and Cher), Chastity Bono, has announced that he is in the early stages of changing his gender, transitioning from female (Chastity) to male (Chaz).  In the realm of celebrity news, this is not only pretty cool, but pretty historic.  Here's Chaz Bono's publicity person on the announcement:

Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago.

Bono had previously been an entertainment media director at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).  For its part, GLAAD offered very encouraging words for Bono.  Per their Executive Director, Neil Giuliano:

Chaz Bono’s decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people.  Coming out as transgender is an extremely personal decision and one that is never made lightly. We look forward to hearing Chaz’s story in his own words in the future.

Though Bono, for his part, is looking to stay out of the media limelight while his gender reassignment occurs, here's hoping that in due time, Bono's decision will help further understanding of transgender issues.

[Editorial Note: You'll notice that in this post, Bono is referred to as "he" throughout, even though the gender reassignment process has not yet been completed.  This is done, in part, because of a styleguide put forth by GLAAD, which strongly encourages reporters and bloggers to use the name and pronoun preferred by the transgender person — in this case, referring to him as Chaz and using male pronouns.]

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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