Chastity's Belt
Chaz says he's ready to get on with his life. He's excited about it. Finally, he can be himself.
After he changes sexes, that is.
"Chaz" is Chastity Bono, the daughter, er, son, of singers Sonny Bono and Cher.
Yes, adorable little Chastity, who used to be brought on stage at the end of some episodes of "The Sonny and Cher Show", has been, for decades, struggling with her sexuality.
So it's time now, apparently, to do something about it.
Chastity will be known as Chaz and is, right now, in the process of sex change.
Chastity (soon to be Chaz) Bono
Of course, Chaz's lack of femininity and brazen homosexuality has been known for years. To some, it was a distinct dichotomy from the cute little girl that Sonny and Cher proudly displayed on camera, and in front of the paparazzi.
So what does it mean?
Just that people are who they are, to themselves, whether or not that conforms to what others feel they should be.
Cute, adorable, little girls with blonde, curly hair are supposed to grow up to be pretty young women. Right? Pretty, young, heterosexual women. Right again?
Wrong!
Not always.
Chastity, by the time she was a teenager, was already shedding the "cute girl" look for a more asexual one. It wasn't a shocker to discover that she was a lesbian.
A while ago, I wrote about actress Kelly McGillis, who revealed that she was coming out. McGillis was her own anomaly, to some: the attractive ingenue turned lesbian.
Heaven forbid!
So now who can be a lesbian? The cute little girl can't. The attractive ingenue can't.
Only those with "that look" are allowed to be gay without stunning us.
The Ellen DeGenereses of the world. You know, the women that never really looked all that "girly" from the get-go.
I remember, years ago when I was in furniture retail, an old college friend entering the store. With him was another man, maybe in his late-40s. My friend, at that time, would have been in his late-30s.
They came in to buy a sofa -- together.
Turns out my friend had come out long after college. His partner was a big, burly, mustachioed dude.
They laughed at my surprise.
"What, do you think you have to be all feminine and airy to be a gay man?"
The older man explained that he had been married for over 20 years, with a couple grown children. He worked in an auto factory. But he, for years, battled his confusion over his sexual orientation.
Until he finally decided who he was.
Divorce followed soon after.
Remember Dr. Renee Richards? She used to be Dr. Richard Raskind--and a professional tennis player. "He" changed to a "she" and played on the women's tour. Richards is probably, to this day, still the highest-profile sex change subject in modern times.
What does it all mean?
Just that Chastity/Chaz is, finally, officially and physically becoming what he has felt he was, mentally and emotionally, since childhood.
No, it doesn't fit our path.
Cute, little girls don't grow up to be men.
Says us.
After he changes sexes, that is.
"Chaz" is Chastity Bono, the daughter, er, son, of singers Sonny Bono and Cher.
Yes, adorable little Chastity, who used to be brought on stage at the end of some episodes of "The Sonny and Cher Show", has been, for decades, struggling with her sexuality.
So it's time now, apparently, to do something about it.
Chastity will be known as Chaz and is, right now, in the process of sex change.
Chastity (soon to be Chaz) Bono
Of course, Chaz's lack of femininity and brazen homosexuality has been known for years. To some, it was a distinct dichotomy from the cute little girl that Sonny and Cher proudly displayed on camera, and in front of the paparazzi.
So what does it mean?
Just that people are who they are, to themselves, whether or not that conforms to what others feel they should be.
Cute, adorable, little girls with blonde, curly hair are supposed to grow up to be pretty young women. Right? Pretty, young, heterosexual women. Right again?
Wrong!
Not always.
Chastity, by the time she was a teenager, was already shedding the "cute girl" look for a more asexual one. It wasn't a shocker to discover that she was a lesbian.
A while ago, I wrote about actress Kelly McGillis, who revealed that she was coming out. McGillis was her own anomaly, to some: the attractive ingenue turned lesbian.
Heaven forbid!
So now who can be a lesbian? The cute little girl can't. The attractive ingenue can't.
Only those with "that look" are allowed to be gay without stunning us.
The Ellen DeGenereses of the world. You know, the women that never really looked all that "girly" from the get-go.
I remember, years ago when I was in furniture retail, an old college friend entering the store. With him was another man, maybe in his late-40s. My friend, at that time, would have been in his late-30s.
They came in to buy a sofa -- together.
Turns out my friend had come out long after college. His partner was a big, burly, mustachioed dude.
They laughed at my surprise.
"What, do you think you have to be all feminine and airy to be a gay man?"
The older man explained that he had been married for over 20 years, with a couple grown children. He worked in an auto factory. But he, for years, battled his confusion over his sexual orientation.
Until he finally decided who he was.
Divorce followed soon after.
Remember Dr. Renee Richards? She used to be Dr. Richard Raskind--and a professional tennis player. "He" changed to a "she" and played on the women's tour. Richards is probably, to this day, still the highest-profile sex change subject in modern times.
What does it all mean?
Just that Chastity/Chaz is, finally, officially and physically becoming what he has felt he was, mentally and emotionally, since childhood.
No, it doesn't fit our path.
Cute, little girls don't grow up to be men.
Says us.
Comments
Post a Comment
As you will...