Did you guys hear about Chastity Bono?

[Kurby]

I've never posted in this section before but after hearing the news last night about Chastity I thought I would post here.

she announced last night (well not sure if she announced it yesterday or they just reported it yesterday) that she is going to have a sex change operation soon.

i think that's absoultly wonderful.

i think he's be going by the name Chaz or Chase or something like that for a few years now but has come forth to make it public. (or atleast officially public)

correct me if i'm wrong but isn't he the biggest name to do this?

what are your thoughts on this?

 

[DVCajun]

I've never posted in this section before but after hearing the news last night about Chastity I thought I would post here.

she announced last night (well not sure if she announced it yesterday or they just reported it yesterday) that she is going to have a sex change operation soon.

i think that's absoultly wonderful.

i think he's be going by the name Chaz or Chase or something like that for a few years now but has come forth to make it public. (or atleast officially public)

correct me if i'm wrong but isn't he the biggest name to do this?

what are your thoughts on this?

Another celebrity, of at least equal standards of celebrity, would be Patricia Arquette, born Robert Arquette. Her acting career continued after her transition.

I wish Chastity well. I know it takes a lot of courage to go through something like that in the public eye.

 

[rpmdfw]

There has been some discussion on this thread as well:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2201204

 

[rpmdfw]

Another celebrity, of at least equal standards of celebrity, would be Patricia Arquette, born Robert Arquette. Her acting career continued after her transition.

Actually, it's Alexis Arquette, not Patricia that was born Robert and transitioned male to female.

 

[DVCajun]

Actually, it's Alexis Arquette, not Patricia that was born Robert and transitioned male to female.

damn! You're right!!! my bad.

 

[Kurby]

oh - i didn't realize she had a sex change already.

 

[npmommie]

I also wish her well. It does take a lot of courage knowing all eyes are on you, and having such famous parents.

I can remember watching the sonny and cher show and cher holding cute little chastity on tv.

 

[WDWFreak200]

I am 100% supporting Chaz during this period. I'm glad that Chastity was able to discover who she truly is and is able to do something about it. Cher will definitely understand a lot better, I am sure. God bless Cher and Chaz. Love them both to death.

 

[soulmates]

I say be happy, it's his life and only he is going to walk in his shoes.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I think part of what has to be taken into account, if we are trying to "understand" the matter (not the specific of Chaz, rather the issue overall) is that our society places such definition and restrictions on gender identity that it produces a pathology all of its own.

When someone is born gay, given the societal norms for gender each of us can most likely attest to recognizing that we didn't feel right in the social definition of our birth gender.

How many of we lesbians grew up as "tomboys" who didn't identify with the pom pom cheerleader bit? Not all, but many.

How many of the gay men here grew up not identifying with the stereotypical sports dude? Again, not all but I'll bet many.

The stereotypes of heterosexual gender identity work against a gay person in that respect. We cannot feel comfortable in that "skin." I didn't want to paint my face, show my body, wear high heels... "just like all the other girls..." So at some point I didn't "feel like a girl..." It took time for me to realize that my version of woman was as valid for me as society's version of woman was for "them."

None of that is to say that gender transition is a product of trend. It is solely to suggest that social norms do play a role in how each of us feels about ourselves, our level of comfort with our gender, and our level of comfort with our self definition.

Chaz is who Chaz is. He will spend his life now feeling comfortable in gender, and in life. (One fervently hopes). Only good wishes for him and every other person who undergoes the transition. It is not an easy road, but a critically necessary one if the person is to find any peace or self identity that is valid (and the self identity is the only valid identity).

If we could move from rigid gender roles to a continuum of gender identity and acceptance, we could (stress on COULD) potentially see a lessening in the need for gender transition as some people would then be more accepting of themselves in a gender identity that was truly queer and not defined by x or y.

 

[pixierella]

Here here, I totally agree with you.

I'm glad for Chaz. It must have been a very hard thing for him today especially in today's society. Lots of happy and healthy vibes for him.

 

[Kurby]

in today's society?

maybe i live in a bubble but aren't we more accepting these days then in the 70's and 80's?

or maybe with canada having gay rights and gay marriages now legal it's not as much of an issue or maybe i really do live in a bubble and just don't see it

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

The US is light years behind Canada in terms of acceptance and recognition that gay folk have the same rights as heterosexual people.

 

[DaddyDon]

Well i'm proud for him ! It takes allott of guts to do ftm .Or that fact a mtf.Life is too short to not be happy with who or what you are in any life style you choose.You find out real quick who your friends are when you come out. I wish him all the luck in the world!

 

[SanFranciscan]

I am fine with homosexuality, but transexualism is hard for me to understand because to me our bodies are not ourselves. They are just where we live.

Gender reassignment surgery is a lot of pain, during which Chasity could die. When it is over, Chasity will still be the same person. If the shoe doesn't fit, must we always change the foot?

 

[rpmdfw]

I am fine with homosexuality, but transexualism is hard for me to understand because to me our bodies are not ourselves. They are just where we live.

Gender reassignment surgery is a lot of pain, during which Chasity could die. When it is over, Chasity will still be the same person. If the shoe doesn't fit, must we always change the foot?

It's hard for you to understand because you were born into the correct gender. As was I. We have no frame of reference that even comes close to feeling how "wrong" their bodies must seem to them.

Without having lived their life and felt their pain, we are not qualified to judge. While "our bodies are not ourselves. They are just where we live" is true for you and me, it might not be for them.

Thankfully we don't have to understand, we simply have to accept.

It's not so much a case of "the shoe doesn't fit so change the foot" as it is "the foot is wrong, so stop buying corrective footwear and fix the foot".

 

[jenn&nelsonrego]

When it is over, Chasity will still be the same person.

Not in his heart, he wont be. Chaz is finally going to physically be what he has always known was his true self.

He is simply trying to correct a mistake that happened in the womb.

 

[Kurby]

i know it's not the same but people are always changing things about themselves because they don't feel right until they do.

everything from coloured contacts and hair dye to lypo, nose jobs, breast jobs, to stomach stapelling

changing ones gender (i would think and hope) would take more thought then getting a breast job or not liking your nose and making it smaller.

but it all stems from not being happy with who you are on the outside.

and while i can't say i understand i support anyone who makes a life ultering decision to make the outside match the inside.

 

[SanFranciscan]

It's none of my business. Chastity has to do what she thinks is right for herself. It just seems to me that she has already missed the best part of being a man because she didn't grow up as a son in a son-fixated world. I don't think that I am the only one who has heard the parents of newborn daughters wished better luck next time, even in front of little girls.

 

[soulmates]

It's hard for you to understand because you were born into the correct gender. As was I. We have no frame of reference that even comes close to feeling how "wrong" their bodies must seem to them.

Without having lived their life and felt their pain, we are not qualified to judge. While "our bodies are not ourselves. They are just where we live" is true for you and me, it might not be for them.

Thankfully we don't have to understand, we simply have to accept.

It's not so much a case of "the shoe doesn't fit so change the foot" as it is "the foot is wrong, so stop buying corrective footwear and fix the foot".

The absolute PERFECT way to explain that. Well said!