Chaz’s big change
Three years into female-to-male gender reassignment, Chaz Bono is now legally a “he,” and feels at peace with himself for the first time in his life.
Chaz Bono no longer feels like a “cosmic mistake,’’ said Kyle Buchanan in New York. Three years into female-to-male gender reassignment, the 42-year-old—born as Sonny and Cher’s daughter Chastity—is now legally a “he,” and feels at peace with himself for the first time in his life. “There’s a grounded feeling about me that I just didn’t have before,” he says. “I have more confidence. I’m more outgoing. Life has become so much easier.”
He’d been confused about his sexual and gender identity since he was a teenager. “I realized I was attracted to women and then made the assumption that I was a lesbian, and didn’t realize that that wasn’t the case. It was the fact that I was a man and a heterosexual man. I had felt uncomfortable as a woman my whole life.” Cher did not take the news about the sex change well, warning Chaz that the public reaction would be withering. “I think she didn’t expect people to be able to handle it as well as they have. That’s probably just a generational thing.”
Curiously, the easiest part has been the surgeries. “I was really calm throughout the whole process. I developed this real faith and certainty that this was what I was supposed to do.” He likes Chaz better than he did Chastity. “The core of my personality really hasn’t changed. I think I’m just a better me.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published