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11/19/2009
Chaz Bono: 'Gender is Between Your Ears, Not Your Legs'
Chaz Bono appeared on Good Morning America this morning to discuss his transition from female to male. GMA looks at his transformation from his first appearance on The Sonny and Cher Show.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 6:07 PM EST by Andy Towle in Chaz Bono, Cher, News, Transgender | Permalink
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I'm totally cool with Chaz transitioning from female to male. But why does he have to turn into a right-wing talkshow host?
Posted by: crispy | Nov 19, 2009 6:15:49 PM
Bravo Chaz!
Posted by: Tralfaz | Nov 19, 2009 6:22:39 PM
http://kylecantlie.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/05bigboy.jpg
Posted by: TANK | Nov 19, 2009 6:34:11 PM
What a sweet interview! I don't know the interviewer, but he was completely respectful and cool. I am very happy for Chaz. I've never had a gender identity concern myself, but as a gay man, I understand what being true to yourself -- vs. what others think you should be -- is all about.
Posted by: Nathan | Nov 19, 2009 6:40:40 PM
I agree with your statement: gender is between your ears, not your legs. Why then, is it necessary to undergo surgery to alter your body to force it to be something it isn't? My personal opinion is that transexuals (not transgendered people)are too caught up with society's rigidly defined gender roles--if the body you were born with is fully male or female in appearance, then there is no need for surgery. You can be as butch or femme as you want in the body you already have. The desire to mutilate one's body reflects a very disturbed sense of gender and self-esteem. No one should ever be ashamed of their physical sex, internal gender identity, nor sexual orientation. You don't have to fit in with other people's expectations and misconceptions to be yourself. I sincerely hope Chaz is happy with his decision, but I think it's a terrible mistake.
Posted by: Mace | Nov 19, 2009 6:49:09 PM
Chaz needs to check himself -- because if he thinks being a man is all in the head and not between the legs --- he is 1/2 right and 1/2 wrong.
He should accept his own experience as unique and beautiful - but do we all have to pretend that it is the same as a man born a man ?
No it is not.
So sorry Chaz --- future multi-millionaire -- you are a wonderful person and I could care less that you are are a transgendered member of our community ....
But Mr. you dont get to discount the experience of being a man born into a male body and say it is the same as your experience.
it is not
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 19, 2009 7:10:26 PM
At the risk of sounding immensely naive, does this mean that Chastity is no longer a lesbian but a straight man? He is a transgedered man, of course, but definitely not gay now (ie attracted to same gender). Sorry, the "T" has and always will throw me off in LGBT matters, not that there's anything wrong with that.
Posted by: Tom B | Nov 19, 2009 7:11:49 PM
I don't understand. Neither Sonny nor Cher were/are fat. Did the fat gene skip a generation? Did he/she include an exercise regime along with the sex change?
Good Lord
Posted by: John in Boston | Nov 19, 2009 7:13:31 PM
Attention whore btw -- "I could not do this privately ..."
Please Chaz ... you never chose to live privately.
Boy this one is in denial as to who he is.
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 19, 2009 7:14:59 PM
I am glad he feels great.
As a kid watching Chaz on Sonny and Cher even at 11 I new he was supposed to be a boy.
Honest.
Now he better stop saying gender is all in your head and we will be cool.
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 19, 2009 7:17:39 PM
MACE you are RIGHT ON !!!
This is an opinion that the transexual community does not want to hear --- of course it should be allowed and civil rights to all as equals ---but the body mutilations should not be viewed so lightly.
That is something that would be the right decision for someone with serious mental health issues that can not be overcome.
But --- we live in an hipster community that celebrates dress up and body modification.
Sanity and a wish for people to love themself in the UNIQUE combo they are born with ..... is not going to be popular.
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 19, 2009 7:22:25 PM
It is threads like these that prove how growing up gay is far from an automatic right of access to any insight or understanding of those with greater differences from the average. Pretty pathetic stuff.
Posted by: rascal | Nov 19, 2009 7:30:41 PM
I disagree about "body mutilation". Gender is in your ears AND your legs, I should think; if they think they're male but are physically female, then something is not correct with their body, and it should be corrected.
Posted by: Yuki | Nov 19, 2009 7:30:45 PM
I have no problem with changing gender, but I have health concerns for a tremendous and unhealthy weight gain. what gives???
Posted by: Tom | Nov 19, 2009 7:38:45 PM
Some of you anti-trans idiots need to go fuck yourselves. Srsly.
Do you really think any FtM transsexuals are so stupid that they think their experience is exactly like a biological male? Um... no. I'm sure they are ACUTELY aware of how they are different.
And calling sex reassignment surgery "mutilation" reveals a profound ignorance and callousness. Also a mere lack of brain power, since understanding how these people probably feel isn't exactly rocket surgery. Just think to yourself: If you woke up one day and you were in the wrong body, wouldn't you want to take steps to fix that?
Maybe you morons should take two and a half seconds to research this topic. Transsexuals don't just wake up one day and think "huh, I feel like being a boy, maybe I'll go get my dick chopped off today". Nor is hormone therapy/surgery available to anyone who asks for it.
Anti-trans sentiment in the gay community = I'm over it.
Posted by: Eshto | Nov 19, 2009 7:40:12 PM
Last time Towleroad posted on the Chastity becoming Chaz story it outright censored some of the comments because they were allegedly too nasty (Who knows since we didn't get to see them). I'm surprised that Towleroad has left up these comments on the site.
I totally agree with the right to have any surgery and name you want. But I agree with the commenters who pointed out the glaring contradictions in the transgender orthodoxy. I also don't see why there isn't another term specific for F2Ms. F2Ms are not the same thing as males...hard to believe it even needs to be said.
Posted by: Paul | Nov 19, 2009 7:42:13 PM
Rock on Chaz! I was watching when Sonny and Cher introduced Chastity to the world. But does be remind anyone of a young John Candy?
Posted by: Alfredo | Nov 19, 2009 7:47:32 PM
There is a tragic true story about a Canadian boy from Winnipeg, who after a botched circumcision, it was strongly suggested by a world renowned 'Specialist' at Johns Hopkins, and agreed to by his dopey, passive parents, that 'He' be raised as a 'She'. Extensive hormone treatment was administered to expedite the process. Once he became of age he reverted back to self-identifying as a male. He amazingly lived to 35 before ending his tortured life through suicide. One of the most truly saddest and depressing documentaries I've ever watched.
This asshole 'Specialist' doctor wanted to prove his theory you could change gender identification through hormone therapy and psychological conditioning. He used this poor kid as a guinea pig.
Posted by: John in Boston | Nov 19, 2009 7:51:41 PM
@Mace:
I have wondered myself about the implications of what you're saying: Are the surgical alterations done to be true to oneself or to fulfill others' expectations of what a masculine (or feminine) person should look like?
But I also think that my questioning comes from a position of not knowing what it is like to be transexual. I'm sure Chaz understands the issue better than I do, and if not having breasts and having a deeper voice makes him feel more comfortable in his skin, then who am I to argue?
You and I can only imagine, as men (if you're male) what it would be like to be in such a position. For example, if you were to need your testicles removed due to a medical emergency, would you be content to accept any changes such as a change to a female-sounding voice or would you take testosterone replacement? If you were impotent, would you accept your physical nature or consider viagra? If you were to lose an arm, would you consider a prosthetic in order to fit into what society likes people to look like? I can't say I wouldn't.
Posted by: GregV | Nov 19, 2009 7:53:10 PM
@RJP3:
I don't what you're ranting about. When did Chaz ever claim that his experience is exactly the same as the experience of non-transexual.
@Tom B: If I understand Chaz correctly, he is saying that he was confused about his identity and incorrectly thought he was a gay woman, even though he always felt psychologically like a straight man. With maturity and a better understanding of transgendered issues and of himself, he realized he was transgendered.
I saw a MTF transexual on TV say something like: "People at school called me gay and nobody educated us on transgendered issues or told us what that meant, so I thought I must be gay. I became confused when I grew up and met gay men and realized that they were men who were attracted to men."
It does throw me a little bit though that Chastity was a spokesperson on gay issues at a point in life where "she" may not have figured out his own sexuality. But we have to give people some slack and some extra time to figure things out, as long as society is so full of confusion and misinformation.
Posted by: GregV | Nov 19, 2009 8:06:52 PM
So, let me get this right:
1. the effects of SYNTHETIC testosterone in trans "men" are natural and good
2. the masculine behavior produced by natural levels of endogenous testosterone in biological males is a "construct" and "learned behavior.
If masculinity is fiction how can trans "men" justify their desire to be mimic this behavior and why do they feel more authentic doing so? If masculinity is a "construct" why do trans "men" want so desperately to inject synthetic testosterone for a lifetime in order to act and appear just like biological males?
Posted by: Mark | Nov 19, 2009 8:07:46 PM
Oh, by the way, I'm completely supportive of chaz and all of my transgender brothers and sisters. There are mostly legitimate cases of being transgender. Then, however, there are the touchy ones...the effeminate gay men who think it'd be easier to pass as a woman than as a man (I am focusing on male to female rather than the reverse, because that's what I know, and from what I can glean, it's much more permanent). I feel great empathy and sadness for them (those who regret the procedure), but you makes your bed in this here life. It's just that that's more extreme than wasting your youth chasing after something you thought was right. OH well, life is wasted regardless of how you waste it.
But what about big boy's gender identity?
Posted by: TANK | Nov 19, 2009 8:11:38 PM
Esto asked --- "Just think to yourself: If you woke up one day and you were in the wrong body, wouldn't you want to take steps to fix that?"
Answer --- no I do not think I would.
Given my experience as a gay man - I think I would live as myself with the genitals and hormones that were CORRECTLY mine and UNIQUE to me.
And that butch woman who is actually a man with a vagina - could and should be hot.
To those with extremely emotional issue around the situation - a sex change should be the very very last option to happiness and only if you are heading or in the loony bin.
But freedom to all to do what they want!
ENJOY ... but I am not going to say my thoughts for happiness for 3rd Sex people being happy as they are without chopping things off or trying to stitch other things on.
PS ... I think Chaz things it is manly to be obese from watching too many bad sitcoms.
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 19, 2009 8:18:12 PM
Bravo Mark --- there is far too much bullshit in the Trans community - and honestly I think asking people to love themselves as themself is NOT a bad thing.
Certainly not.
And for those who could not live otherwise === have the sex change.
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 19, 2009 8:20:09 PM
Paul --- you are nothing but nasty PC thought police.
Sickening how gay men have been made to tow a line that is just crap.
A sex changes is NOT always the right thing.
It should be a right for all to choose.
But it is not always the right thing.
Those saying otherwise are liars and uninformed as to the psychological nature of the issue.
This is not teatime at the boatslip people --- this is people with serious emotional issues.
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 19, 2009 8:23:50 PM