Chaz Salvatore Bono is an American transgender advocate, writer, actor, and musician. Bono is the only child that American entertainers Sonny and Cher begot together, though each begot other children. Bono is a female to male transgendered person.
In 1995, after several years of being outed as lesbian by the tabloid press, Bono publicly declared herself as such in a cover story in a leading American gay monthly magazine, The Advocate. Bono went on to discuss the process of coming out to oneself and to others in two books. Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families (1998) includes the author's coming out account. The memoir, The End of Innocence (2003) discusses the author's outing, music career, and partner Joan's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Around age 39, Bono underwent female-to-male gender transition. A two-part Entertainment Tonight feature in June 2009 explained that Bono's transition had started a year before. In May 2010, Bono legally changed gender and name. Bono has made a documentary about his life, which OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will debut.
Born Chastity Sun Bono
March 4, 1969 (age 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality American
Occupation Actor, writer, musician, activist
Years active 1972—present
Known for Sonny & Cher's only child together, LGBT activism, writing, acting
Parents Sonny Bono, Cher
Bono is the only child together of Cher and Sonny Bono of the well-known pop duo Sonny & Cher, who had a top-rated television variety show on which the young child often appeared. Bono was named Chastity Sun Bono after the film Chastity, which was produced by Sonny, and in which Cher Рin her first feature film Рplays a bisexual woman. The film had its premi̬re shortly before Bono's birth in 1969.
Bono came out to both parents as lesbian at age 18. In Family Outing, Bono wrote that, "as a child, I always felt there was something different about me. I'd look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their obvious interest in the latest fashion, which boy in class was the cutest, and who looked the most like cover girl Christie Brinkley. When I was 13, I finally found a name for exactly how I was different. I realized I was gay."
In mid-2008, Bono began undergoing a physical and social gender transition from female to male. This was confirmed in June 2009 by his publicist, who identified Bono's preferred name as Chaz Bono and said, "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." GLAAD and the Empowering Spirits Foundation were quick to offer praise and support for the announcement. Bono's legal transition was completed on May 7, 2010, when a California court granted his request for a gender and name change. Bono made a documentary film about his sex change that premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Oprah Winfrey Network acquired the rights to the documentary and will debut it later in 2011.
In 1995, after several years of being outed as lesbian by the tabloid press, Bono publicly declared herself as such in a cover story in a leading American gay monthly magazine, The Advocate. Bono went on to discuss the process of coming out to oneself and to others in two books. Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families (1998) includes the author's coming out account. The memoir, The End of Innocence (2003) discusses the author's outing, music career, and partner Joan's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Around age 39, Bono underwent female-to-male gender transition. A two-part Entertainment Tonight feature in June 2009 explained that Bono's transition had started a year before. In May 2010, Bono legally changed gender and name. Bono has made a documentary about his life, which OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will debut.
Born Chastity Sun Bono
March 4, 1969 (age 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality American
Occupation Actor, writer, musician, activist
Years active 1972—present
Known for Sonny & Cher's only child together, LGBT activism, writing, acting
Parents Sonny Bono, Cher
Bono is the only child together of Cher and Sonny Bono of the well-known pop duo Sonny & Cher, who had a top-rated television variety show on which the young child often appeared. Bono was named Chastity Sun Bono after the film Chastity, which was produced by Sonny, and in which Cher Рin her first feature film Рplays a bisexual woman. The film had its premi̬re shortly before Bono's birth in 1969.
Bono came out to both parents as lesbian at age 18. In Family Outing, Bono wrote that, "as a child, I always felt there was something different about me. I'd look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their obvious interest in the latest fashion, which boy in class was the cutest, and who looked the most like cover girl Christie Brinkley. When I was 13, I finally found a name for exactly how I was different. I realized I was gay."
In mid-2008, Bono began undergoing a physical and social gender transition from female to male. This was confirmed in June 2009 by his publicist, who identified Bono's preferred name as Chaz Bono and said, "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." GLAAD and the Empowering Spirits Foundation were quick to offer praise and support for the announcement. Bono's legal transition was completed on May 7, 2010, when a California court granted his request for a gender and name change. Bono made a documentary film about his sex change that premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Oprah Winfrey Network acquired the rights to the documentary and will debut it later in 2011.
