Chaz Bono: Gender Is Between Your Ears, Not Between Your Legs

By PopEater Staff Posted Nov 19th 2009 10:05AM

For the first time, Chaz Bono, born to Cher and the late Sonny Bono as Chastity, opened up about his new life as a man, in an exclusive interview with 'Good Morning America.' "This was a very difficult decision to make, but it is the best decision I've ever made. I'm happier. I'm more confident. I feel great," he said.

"It would be easy to say, 'Why did I wait so long to do this?' but I am a person who believes things will happen when they're suppose to happen. I was ready when I was ready. Life is just great now," he said.

Bono, who has served as a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) civil rights advocate, began the gender-changing process earlier this year, following his 40th birthday. His publicist announced Bono's decision to undergo gender reassignment in June. He is currently living with his girlfriend Jennifer.

Bono has undergone breast removal surgery and began taking hormones to alter his appearance. "It was just a long process of being comfortable enough to do something about it. I was turning 40, and I thought it's now or never," he said.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=760547&pid=760546&uts=1258643166

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/movies/?s_channel=us.moviespop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Chaz Bono Photos

Chaz Bono speaks during the Transgender Law Center 7th anniversary event in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. More photos >>

Chaz Bono Snapshots

Gay rights activist Chaz Bono speaks during the Transgender Law Center 7th anniversary event in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Gay rights activist Chaz Bono gives a thumbs up after speaking during the Transgender Law Center 7th anniversary event in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Chaz Bono arrives to the 2009 Outfest Opening Night Gala: "LA Mission" held at The Orpheum Theatre on July 9, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. 2009 Outfest Opening Night Gala of "LA Mission" The Orpheum Theatre Los Angeles, CA United States July 9, 2009 Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57875295), contact FilmMagic.com

Michael Tran/FilmMagic.com

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 09: Chaz Bono arrives to the 2009 Outfest opening night gala of 'La Mission' held at The Orpheum Theatre on July 9, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chaz Bono

Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 09: Jennifer Elia and Chaz Bono arrive to the 2009 Outfest opening night gala of 'La Mission' held at The Orpheum Theatre on July 9, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chaz Bono;Jennifer Elia

Getty Images

©BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM Chaz (formerly Chastity) Bono is spotted out running errands in West Hollywood. EXCLUSIVE June 23, 2009 Job: 90623W14 Los Angeles, California www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

SCOTT/GVK/bauergriffinonline.com

"Gender is between your ears and not between your legs. I've felt male for as far back as I can remember," he said. "As I child, I felt like a boy. My friends were boys and in school, I related to boys. If a game broke out [with] girls against the boys, I was always with the boys."

But as Bono hit puberty, there were obstacles to overcome pressures from society to conform. "As you get older, it gets more confusing. Suddenly there is more pressure to fit into your assigned identity... At 13 or 14, it was real clear I was attracted to women," stating that he tried to take the easy way out and assumed he must be a lesbian.

Bono knew it went much deeper than that though. "I've only been on hormone therapy for about eight months now... I feel so much more comfortable than I've ever been, but [there's] more to come," he said. "The first hurtle was that I wouldn't be able to do this privately like most people can. Then, it was about dealing with the people in my life and how it was going to affect them... I have to live my life for myself and life is too short and precious. This is who I am, and I need to finally be who I am."

At this point, Bono admits nothing really scares him anymore about the transformation. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I needed to work through the things that scared me in order to start this journey. At this point, nothing scares me. I'm living the life that I've always wanted to live now and that's amazing."

While Bono never sought to be a public figure of the LGBT community, he is taking it in stride. "I'm not looking at it as campaigning. I struggled a lot getting here. If by being public about [my transformation], other people can see this and not have to struggle quite as much as I did, than I'm really happy to do that."

"If I can help make things easier, legislation wise, I'm happy to do that as well. I've been an activist in the LGBT community for a long time, and I don't think that really anything as changed. I'm just more focused on the T now than I was with the L and the G," he laughed.

Tags: chaz bono, ChazBono, Cher, good morning america, GoodMorningAmerica

Comments

(228)

Thursday 19 November

By salzmanscott

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

You don't have to be a shrink to see that this an extremely disturbed individual. Maybe havinf two weirdos for parents didn't help. It's a sad spectacle.

By SharlaFromNJ

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Cher - I feel so bad for you. Sonny must be twirling in his grave. Stay strong, Cher, because there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
Born a girl, then turned lezbo, now a man.
Hang in there, Cher.

By B

Vote down Vote up Report this

The article states, "He is currently living with his girlfriend Jennifer."

So, does this mean, Jennifer is straight now that she is dating Chaz and not Charity? I wonder if Jennifer will dump Chaz because Chaz is no longer Charity?

NOW, I'M CONFUSED!

By lori5462

I, too, preferred playing with boys or hanging around with them. Girls are two-faced, back-biting biatches!! I love sports and the girls I went to school with just didn't appreciate football, baseball, basketball, etc the way I did. Doesn't mean I wanted to BE a boy! I did have girls for friends but hanging with boys was much more fun!!!

By Laura

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I think Chaz is a brave man and for once I was proud to watch something on television. I think Chris Cuomo approached the interview with dignity and respect. It's a shame so many people in this world have forgotten about simple respect. What Chaz chooses to do with his life and his body has no impact on anyone else and therefore no one has any right to judge him. Peace Chaz -- and much happiness!

By Ian

She's not fooling me, it's still a girl.

By Jamie

The hatred and ignorance on this board is off the chain. Transsexuals have to go through a series of psychological tests before they are allowed to have SRS. This isn't a decision that one makes willy nilly. He has famous parents. He would be in the public eye while making this transformation. Not everyone can make this decision early on in life. No one knows what God intended him to be, but God. Do a little reading before you condemn him. Unless you've lived this life, don't judge. You have no idea how hard it is.

By richard

sonny is rolling over in the grave, wtf did cher do to this kid to be so tatally frigged up and have a mentality from o wait its san fag cisco, needs to fall off in the ocean....
stupid is as stupid does, kid needs to be institutionalized......

By azulii

Wow,
This poor women seems to really hate herself.
I think she probably needed meds for depression when she was very young, 'cause on the sonny and Cher show she always looked so miserable.
I think she will do anything for attention, Particularly from her Mom, 'cause she seems so self-absorbed

By James

Oh brother!! We get rid of one freak,(Michael Jackson) and another one slithers out of the woodwork...wonder what's next!

By juanita cushman

If you can't say something nice, say nothing at all...

By jerseyjab

You can tell she isnt a man!!LOL every man knows ITS DEF WHATS BETWEEN YOU THIGHS

By KAV

Cher must be so proud.

By Caitlin

All ya'll who are saying if gender is between your ears then why have the surgery are retarded. He was saying sex and gender are 2 different things. Sex is biological and gender is cultural. How dare ya'll be so close minded to what this man is dealing with! Do you ever stop to wonder that he finally wants his sex to match his gender? That is what he was trying to say.

By jbjg24m

ugly either way as a woman or man !

By testakel

Why is it for us to judge. People should be able to live out there sexual lives any way they want in the privacy of there own homes.Just keep it private thank you and for those of you who have to make everything political, this country had a pretty big fire going before Obama but he doesn't seem to be putting it out very quickly I'll give you that

By willybob22124

I feel so sorry for Cher. She doesn't deserve this. I, also, don't really understand why doctors are allowed to participate in transformations of this kind. I mean, I do. It's ALL about the money. But, it should no more be legal for them to do this than it would be for them to cut both my arms off and transplant each to the opposite side just so that I could experience the difference this would make in my life.

Friday 20 November

By Jon

THIS THING, "CHAZ" IS AN ABOMINATION TO GOD, NATURE, AND HUMANITY. WHY DOESN'T "SHE" DO SOMETHING ABOUT HER EATING PROBLEM.

By pppsfan

Who cares, are you planning on marrying this person? Why should it matter, if you didn't want to read, why click. The holier than thou crew has their noses out of whack. Spend more time on yourself, you who are perfect.....

By pulp2bgone

He's the most handsome ugly fat chick I've ever seen

Page 5 of 12