Nov 02 2009
Chaz Bono: Is Sonny Rolling Over?
In June, Chastity Bono, daughter of entertainers Sonny and Cher, shocked the entertainment world by announcing that she was becoming a he.
Now, in his first interview, Chaz Bono, as he now calls himself, speaks to “Entertainment Tonight’s” Mary Hart about his transformation, his famous family and the struggle he’s gone through since childhood.
“I have to tell you that I was really quite moved with my time with Chaz. His honesty, thoughtfulness and warmth not only impressed me, but it helped me understand this very serious choice he’s made,” Hart told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
According to Bono, the most difficult step he had to take was, “finding the courage not to worry about what other people would think of me so much.”
America first met Bono on “The Sonny and Cher Show” as an adorable, little blonde girl with pig tails.
Now 40 years old, and almost 15 years since coming out as gay, he is beginning to live life as he wanted to for a long time, as a man. He says the complete transformation will take four or five years and involves surgery and hormone therapy.
Along with a gender reassignment surgery comes facial hair.
“I shave about once a week now,” Bono told Hart. “So it’s not, certainly not thick. It kind of started to come in like peach fuzz,” which he said was a thrill to experience.
The hormones have dramatically changed Bono’s voice, which was a slight adjustment for him.
“It does it in stages, so, no. I’m literally going through puberty,” he said.
Rest of story here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/29/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main5449093.shtml

