As
the only child of world renowned pop duo Sonny and Cher
Bono, many of us remember Chaz as their cherub-faced daughter
Chastity, blowing kisses to the audience of her parents
top-rated variety television show, �Sonny & Cher.�
In
1995, Chaz was outed as a lesbian.
But
this time Chaz is in control, and on his own volition has
announced he�s legally a man, and will now appear on the
13th season of �Dancing with the Stars,� premiering Sept.
19.
But
not everyone is cheering, and ABC is catching some of the
fallout.
The
�Dancing with the Stars� message board lit up with a tsunami
of transphobic remarks about Chaz�s upcoming appearance,
giving us a window into what this segment of the population
confronts.
�HUGE
HUGE fan of this show since season two and eagerly await
each season to get my dancing/entertainment �fix�!! But
when I heard that Chaz Bono was going to be on, I was sick.
Not that I have anything personally again her/him, I just
don�t want that lifestyle choice continually flaunted in
the media esp (sic) ABC.�
�There
are a few women in my office that are very much against
having Chaz Bono on the show because he is transgendered.�
Because
dance contestants are heterosexually paired with a professional
dancer, some critics are concerned with which DWTS dancer
Chaz is coupled.
�Chaz
will have to dance with one of the girls because she/he
says she/he is a man but chromosomes say different no matter
how many surgeries you have.�
In
the film, Becoming Chaz, a documentary about Chaz
Bon�s female-to-male (FTM) gender reassignment that aired
in May on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, the arduous trek
of coming out as transgender was captured.
And
the topic of male and female genitalia, not surprisingly,
is always front and center in transphobic arguments.
�It�s
just hard for me to get my head around that cute little
blonde headed girl that belonged to Sonny and Cher now has a penis.�
Chaz
told Winfrey that he doesn�t want male genitalia.
�At
this point, I really don�t have any plans to do bottom surgery,�
he said. �I feel really good, I feel like a man now, and
I�m really happy.�
In
his recent interview with ABC about being on DWTS, Chaz
explained what being transgender meant to him.
�Transgendered
people believe that their gender identity does not correspond
to the one into which they were physically born. Many seek
surgery or hormones to change their physical gender.�
Although
�Dancing with the Stars� is about getting high ratings by
any means necessary, the shock and awe of Chaz appearing
in this upcoming season will be a teaching moment for its
viewers.
�With
both gay and transgender contestants represented on this
upcoming season, ABC will send viewers a strong message
about the diversity within the LGBT community,� said Herndon
Graddick, senior of director of programs for GLAAD, in a
statement. �At a time when transgender representation in
the media is sorely lacking, Chaz Bono joining the cast
is a tremendous step forward for the public to recognize
that transgender people are another wonderful part of the
fabric of American culture. Appearing on such a high-profile
show will allow millions of Americans to get to know him
in a whole new light.�
The
general public may not be aware that people who have had
sex-change surgery, cross-dressers and are gender non-conforming
are often targets of violence and biases that force them
to live in fear for their safety, and suffer the loss of
their jobs and shelter.
The
annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an international
event memorializing transgender people murdered because
of their gender identities or gender expressions. The purpose
of TDOR is to raise public awareness of hate crimes against
transgendered people and to honor their lives that might
otherwise be forgotten.
This
event is held every November honoring Rita Hester, a 34
year old African American transsexual, who was mysteriously
found murdered inside her first floor apartment outside
of Boston on Nov. 28, 1998. The crime kicked off the
�Remembering Our Dead� web project.
As
a matter-of-fact, many transgender people, because of transphobia
and anti-trans violence in this society, feel most comfortable
moving about their lives out of the view of the general
public. In urban enclaves known for their gang violence,
crimes against transgender people often go unnoticed or
are seen as lesser crimes.
Many
parents of transgender children worry and for sound reasons.
When
we see in the documentary Cher - gay icon nonpareil - not as celebratory about Chaz�s transition
as his close friends and girlfriend, Jenny, are, it�s unnerving.
But Cher, in my opinion, comes across
more as a frightened parent than as an insensitive transphobic.
Worried about the toil it will take - physically and mentally
- on Chaz to endure ongoing male hormone shots for the rest
of his life Cher, still using the female pronoun, states,
�I�m afraid she�s not going to be healthy, I�m afraid it�s
too much for her.�
But
Cher understands Chaz�s courageous
act to transition. �If I woke up tomorrow in the body of
a man, I couldn�t get to the surgeon fast enough,� she stated
in the documentary.
Cher
is a lucky parent. Her child is alive, well and will soon
be flaunting his fancy footwork on �Dancing with the Stars.�
But
Rita�s mother exemplifies the unknown hurt and quiet grief
myriad parents endure, which is why we have TDOR. I won�t
soon forget the vigil we held for Rita in 1998, because
I am still haunted by the words of Hester�s mother.
�I
would have gladly died for you, Rita. I would have taken
the stabs and told you to run. I loved you.�
With
what has now amounted to a tsunami of criticism for having
Chaz in this season�s lineup, I applaud �Dancing with the
Stars� for not wavering, and Chaz for stepping out.
BlackCommentator.com
Editorial Board member, the Rev. Irene Monroe, is a religion
columnist, theologian, and public speaker. She is the Coordinator of
the African-American Roundtable of the Center for Lesbian and
Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (CLGS) at the Pacific
School of Religion.
A native of Brooklyn,
Rev. Monroe is a graduate from Wellesley College and Union
Theological Seminary at Columbia University, and served
as a pastor at an African-American church before coming
to Harvard Divinity School for her doctorate as a Ford Fellow.
She was recently named to MSNBC�s list of 10 Black Women You Should Know. Reverend Monroe is the author
of Let Your Light Shine Like a Rainbow Always: Meditations on Bible
Prayers for Not�So�Everyday Moments. As an African-American
feminist theologian, she speaks for a sector of society
that is frequently invisible. Her website
is irenemonroe.com.
Click here
to contact the Rev. Monroe. |