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Sonny and Cher's daughter plans sex change
by Natalie James - June 12, 2009 - comments
Bono, who was born a female, has finalized her/his decision to become a legally transgendered male, and has decided to undergo a gender reassignment surgery
Los Angeles, June 12: Chastity Bono, daughter of actress and pop singer Cher and the late Sonny Bono, has expressed a long-simmering desire to become a man. Bono, who came out as gay in 1989, has started the process of becoming a man, her/his publicist Howard Bragman confirmed to ABCNews.com.
The 40-year-old writer, activist and reality-TV star Bono, who was born a female, has finally decided to become a legally transgendered male, and is to undergo a gender reassignment surgery.
"Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," Bragman said. "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.
"We ask that the media respect Chaz's privacy during this long process as he will not be doing any interviews at this time," Bragman added.
Chastity Bono
Born March 4, 1969, Bono is the daughter of the American entertainers late Sonny Bono and Cher, well-known as pop duo Sonny & Cher. Bono, who was a tomboy as a child, first identified herself as a lesbian when she saw the film “Personal Best” at the age of thirteen.
Bono began her career with a short-lived music career with her band, Ceremony. The band that included Heidi Shink a/k/a Chance, Pete McRae, Steve Bauman, Louis Ruiz, and Bryn Mathieu released one album, “Hang Out Your Poetry”, in 1993.
Besides working as a writer for The Advocate, a national gay and lesbian magazine, Bono also served as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, promoting National Coming Out Day, campaigning for the reelection of Bill Clinton for U.S. President and campaigning against the Defense of Marriage Act.
In 1995, Bono posed for the cover of The Advocate, and worked as Entertainment Media Director for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
GLAAD’s reaction to Bono’s decision
Apparently happy with Bono’s very public gender transition, GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano said the 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."
Giuliano added: “GLAAD encourages media outlets to cover this story accurately, and to avoid speculation about the details of Chaz’s story before he is ready to share them."
Bono has written two books- “Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families” which tells the story of her own coming out, and also the stories of other gay and lesbian people; and “The End of Innocence” which is a memoir that discusses her outing, her music career, and her relationships with her lover Joan and his death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The book also details how her relationships with Sonny and Cher changed through the years.