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06/18/2009

Doing it Well: Chaz Bono

Chaz Bono, born March 4, 1969

Some of you may know Chaz Bono better as the former Chastity Bono, child of Sonny and Cher. 

Chaz is just two months older than I am, and I vividly recall watching him join his parents -- he was still a she at the time -- at the end of every episode of the Sonny and Cher show. I never missed an episode, and I worshiped Chastity. How cool to be a kid on TV! And to get to wear an outfit that matched Sonny and Cher!

In 1990 the tabloid rag the Star outed Chaz. Although he was already out to his family, Chaz denied it at first, because he wasn't prepared for the public scrutiny. He subsequently came out publicly in 1995, in an interview with the Advocate.

Through the years Chaz has been a champion for the rights of gay people and same sex couples, working with the Human Rights Campaign and against the vile and misnamed Defense of Marriage Act. 

This March, Chaz celebrated his 40th birthday with Cher in Vegas. That's a party I would have paid to attend!

The latest news is that Chaz started a sexual reassignment transition (thank you People Magazine RSS feed.)  I think that's a perfect example of seizing life at 40. You're experienced enough to know what you want and how to pull it off, and still young enough to go for something huge and life changing.

Best wishes to you, Chaz, on this latest chapter: It's been delightful growing up with you, and you're still an inspiration!

- Cat/BadKitty

PS - Doesn't Travis the Near Girl (see post below) sort of look like Chaz?

Posted at 10:45 PM in 40w Club, Cat/Bad Kitty, Celebrities who make 40 look good, Doin' it well |

Tags: chastity, chaz-bono, cher, gay-rights, sexual-reassignment, sonny-and-cher

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Deb on the Rocks

Well done.

I'm 44, and I totally remember looking forward to the end of the show for this very reason. I was very jealous of Chaz, actually. Sonny and Cher as your parents? Seemed fucking out of this world.

Posted by: Deb on the Rocks | 06/23/2009 at 12:39 PM

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40 Whatever Approved

Things to Do When We're 40 (The Not Bucket List)

  • A barbecue tour of the South
    We'll start in the Carolinas and end in Texas and sample the best barbecue America has to offer. Why? Because we like meat.
  • Hotel Living
    We like: mini bars, movies, and lounging around in our pajamas with our laptops right where they are supposed to be. We'll bring running shoes to pretend like we're going to work out, but really, who are we kidding. You see where this is going?
  • Knock some sense into dumb people
    We'd love to be the camp counselors on a show like the Real World or Rock of Love.
  • Eating Dinner in a Vineyard While the Sun Sets
    You know those scenes of a dining table set in a Tuscan or Sonoma vineyard dressed with beautiful linens and people sitting around it drinking wine and eating and laughing while the sun goes down? We want to be those people.
  • Yoga Retreat in New Mexico
    Some of our fondest memories are of spending time doing yoga together. Do other wannabe yoginis spend the entire class laughing together? We do.