Chaz Bono Explains What It Means to Be Transgender

By: Teddy Partridge Saturday November 21, 2009 5:58 pm

Chaz Bono, whose mother and father Cher and Sonny Bono made sixties television fun for so many of us, explains to Chris Cuomo on Good Morning America the transition from being Chastity Bono. This is as good an explanation I have ever seen in the mass media of the process, thinking, and feelings of this extraordinary journey — from the viewpoint of the person.

I have often advocated at FireDogLake that my fellow progressives eschew silly jokes about our opponents and their alleged transgender nature. (Well, one opponent in particular. There’s nothing wrong or funny about being transgender, while there’s lots wrong with being Ann Coulter.) I hope everyone who has backed me up on this position — and those who’ve learned from it or not understood it — will have a look at this brief segment from Good Morning America.

I’m no expert, but I learned a thing or two from this sensitive and encouraging mainstream media interview. Congrats to Chris Cuomo and GMA for handling this really well.

Chaz Bono, as Chastity, was an outstanding spokesperson for the lesbian community, and all LGBTs. It will be wonderful to see him in a new public role as the face of transgender Americans. It can’t be easy to make such a transition as a public person; he is to be commended.

(Note: per the GLAAD stylebook, transgender persons deserve to be referred to and provided the pronoun of their destination gender. Therefore, please refer in comments to Chaz as he and him. Thank you.)

Original Article