Chaz Bono: Sex Change 'Best Decision'

(AP)  Chaz Bono says beginning the sex-change process to turn him from a woman to a man is "the best decision I've ever made."

The 40-year-old writer, activist and reality-TV star, who was born a girl to Sonny Bono and Cher, says he's eight months into the years-long transformation and says he feels great.

Formerly called Chastity, he told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday: "Life is short and life is precious. This is who I am. I need to finally be who I am."

Bono says he always felt like a boy growing up and came out as a lesbian 11 years ago. Now he's undergone gender-reassignment surgery and hormone therapy.

He tells ABC: "To me, gender is between your ears, not between your legs. I've felt male as far back as I can remember."

[YanheeHospital]

Transsexuality is often misunderstood. It transcends race, economic barriers, education, in other words transsexuality exists in all walks of life. It's good to see someone like Chaz Bono come out and life the way he needs to live. There aren't many sympathetic clinics or doctors out here that do a good job at giving the patient a new lease on life. Surgeries are often costly. There's a trust fund for trans people at www.yanheeUSA.com

[Rlagunas]

If Chaz is happy. That is all that is important. I will pray for him. Who are we to judge? Good Luck Chaz.. You have my Love guy.

[horga1919]

What does feeling male mean? There are heterosexual males that enjoy dance-ballet-cologne etc. and who are sensitive and often cry.There are those that don't.Same with females.Lesbian women don't necessarily feel male because they are attracted to the heterosexual male counterpart.Same with gay men.Tomboys enjoy many things other girls don't..Does that make them less female or somehow feel inadequate? Gender comes in all varieties and patterns of behavior..Why submit to a knife/hormones to verify this? Be who you are and find accepting people. Look for those like you if that is your need. Testicles and ovaries/uterus are only there if you choose to use them for procreation.

[horga1919]

What does feeling male mean? There are heterosexual males that enjoy dance-ballet-cologne etc. and who are sensitive and often cry.There are those that don't.Same with females.Lesbian women don't necessarily feel male because they are attracted to the heterosexual male counterpart.Same with gay men.Tomboys enjoy many things other girls don't..Does that make them less female or somehow feel inadequate? Gender comes in all varieties and patterns of behavior..Why submit to a knife/hormones to verify this? Be who you are and find accepting people. Look for those like you if that is your need. Testicles and ovaries/uterus are only there if you choose to use them for procreation.

[horga1919]

Chaz has always felt male?I am puzzled.How does she know the feeling of being male if born female.And what does feeling male mean?There are heterosexual males that love dance-ballet-nice cologne and who cry often.There are heterosexual males that don't.Same with heterosexual women.I assume most lesbians"feel" female yet they have the heterosexual male attraction to women.Even most"tomboys" I presume don't "feel" male or want to be male. Are there self hating gays and lesbians?Yes!Gender has variety and pattern of behavior. Why submit to surgery/hormones to verify this.Just be who you are.Testicles and ovaries/uterus are only there if you choose to use them for procreation.

[crikeytx46]

If gender is between your ears and not your legs, then why is she going through with gender reassignment?

[juggywuggy]

Because the mind does not necessarily follow from the body. As a transgender woman, I can tell you that I have experience no worse feeling than waking up every day for the majority of my life and knowing that my body does not match the mind I have had since birth. The reason we have the reassignment is because it is the only real chance at peace. It is the best way presently for us to feel like the matter that composes our shells matches the mind we've always possessed. Why is it so hard for people to address others as they wish to be addressed? If we walked around all day calling each other 'human', as in 'hello human, did you have a good weekend?', the people we address as such would feel without worth because we are not using their name, we are not addressing them as they wish to be addressed. People need to remember the platinum rule: 'treat others as they wish to be treated' and put aside their own silliness.

[thea48]

I agree with crikey I dont think this is going to make him happy in the long run.I hope Im wrong,but I do belive this is a deeper problem.Chaz needs to be happy on the inside with every aspect.I think the weight should have come off first.Like he says gender is between your ears.He still has that look of sadness in his eyes.I wonder if he wonders if his girlfriend is with him cause he's who he is or whos son he is? Like I said I hope Im wrong,and maybe he's just a spoiled Brat,But if I was Cher I'd keep an eye on him. GOOD LUCK CHAZ

[John_Merritt]

Well I am glad that Chaz is happy. I personally can sympathize for her plight on being a woman and feeling like a man, not that I feel like a woman far from it. I don't think I would ever want to be a woman. As a matter of fact if I was, you would probably have to call me 'Xena the Warrior Princess' because I probably would be decking quite a few guys along my road of life. Good luck to you Chaz and I hope that you live fully, enjoy and continue to love no matter what.