VARIOUS: Chaz Bono documents his journey from woman to man in a new book, "Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man"

Record ID: 837975

  • Title: VARIOUS: Chaz Bono documents his journey from woman to man in a new book, "Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man"
  • Date: 14th May 2011
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF BOOK "TRANSITION: THE STORY OF HOW I BECAME A MAN" CLOSE UP OF BOOK COVER MID SHOT OF BOOK COVER PARK CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 23, 2011) (REUTERS) CHAZ BONO AND GIRLFRIEND JENNIFER ELIA AT PREMIERE OF "BECOMING CHAZ" AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAZ BONO, AUTHOR, SAYING: "When I finished, when I finished writing it and then through the editing process of reading it over and over again it really struck me, yeah, this is about finding yourself, this is about growing up, this is about overcoming fear and finding courage. All of those things kind of more than it is really about transitioning." PARK CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 23, 2011) (REUTERS) MORE OF CHAZ BONO AND GIRLFRIEND JENNIFER ELIA AT PREMIERE OF "BECOMING CHAZ" AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAZ BONO, AUTHOR, SAYING: "I became beyond enraged were I had this primal experience were all of the frustration and everything that I had been repressing for so many years just exploded in me and I was literally just kind of having a primal scream thing happen. And I think that was the final straw for me, that I realized what was inside of me, how toxic it was how - how difficult of a time I had been having and so did Jen and at that point I knew that I didn't have a choice in this matter, I had to do this." PARK CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES (FILE - JANUARY 23, 2011) (REUTERS) CHAZ BONO WITH GIRLFRIEND JENNIFER ELIA AND STEP-MOTHER, U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN MARY BONO MACK NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAZ BONO, AUTHOR, SAYING: "Having to do this publicly was just a lot to deal with and took many, many years cause I - I thought - I didn't know if people were ready for this and probably when I first discovered it I don't know that people really were. But times move on and I've moved on and got older and it all came together."
  • Embargoed: 29th May 2011 13:00
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  • Location: Usa
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  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVACBJDYGEZSYYIRM87REZXRM2XH
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  • Story Text: Sonny and Cher's once little girl has now become a middle aged man. Now known as Chaz Bono, he has documented his journey in a new memoir, "Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man."
    Born Chastity Sun Bono in 1969, Chaz, grew up in the spotlight, making his TV debut at the age of two on the "Sonny and Cher Show." This exposure and constant media attention prolonged his discussion to become a man for over ten years.
    "Having to do this publicly was just a lot to deal with and took many, many years cause I - I thought - I didn't know if people were ready for this and probably when I first discovered it I don't know that people really were," said Bono.
    But after a violent fight with his live-in girlfriend, Jennifer Elia, of six years he knew it was time to make the change.
    "I became beyond enraged where I had this primal experience were all of the frustration and everything that I had been repressing for so many years just exploded in me and I was literally just kind of having a primal scream, thing happen. And I think that was the final straw for me, that I realized what was inside of me, how toxic it was how, how difficult of a time I had been having and so did Jen and at that point I knew that I didn't have a choice in this matter, I had to do this," explained Chaz.
    Chaz says this process has been difficult for his superstar mother Cher, and while her acceptance has been a slow process, she is making an effort.
    "She's gotten better with the pronouns for sure, I think it's going to be a process and you know, it's a really engrained habit a 40 year long habit, but I think that it's definitely getting better," he said.
    Chaz's father Sonny died in died in 1998 in a freak skiing accident. When she came out as a lesbian in 1995 Sonny was immediately accepting, however, Chaz is unsure how he would react to his transition.
    "This is a hard subject to kind of wrap your brain around and my dad was of an older generation so it might have been difficult for him," Bono told Reuters.
    "I'll look at a picture sometimes and I'll really see that so it's kind of funny, I can't grow a mustache yet, but when I can I'll have to try that out," he added with a smile.
    For Bono this book is more than a story about 'how he became a man.'
    "When I finished writing it and then through the editing process of reading it over and over again it really struck me, yeah, this is about finding yourself, this is about growing up, this is about overcoming fear and finding courage. All of those things kind of more than it is really about transitioning," explained Bono.
    And that transition has been nothing but satisfying for Bono.
    "I like everything about it because I always felt like a man and now my physical body reflects how I've always felt inside. For me it's just, I feel a hundred percent comfortable in my body now, whereas my whole life leading up to this point I probably lived in my head and couldn't really even inhabit - I just ignored my body," said Bono.
    In addition to the book, Bono captured his change on camera in a documentary cahnged "Becoming Chaz." The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The movie made its television premiere on May 10 on Oprah Winfrey's network OWN, as apart of the channels 'documentary club.'
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