Chaz Bono is an American actor, author, and advocate who has spent years living openly as a transgender man and helping bring greater trans visibility to mainstream entertainment.
As the child of entertainers Cher and Sonny Bono, Chaz grew up in the public eye. His decision to share his transition publicly eventually made him one of the most recognizable transgender men in American media.
Choosing to Live Openly
Chaz publicly came out as transgender in 2009.
He later explained that he had understood himself as male from a young age but needed many years to find the courage to transition. Because he was already a public figure, he also knew that such a personal journey would receive widespread media attention.
Instead of allowing other people to control the story, Chaz chose to speak about his experiences himself.
Sharing His Journey
In 2011, his transition was documented in the film Becoming Chaz.
That same year, he published the memoir Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man, giving readers a more personal account of his journey.
Chaz has explained that part of his reason for being so visible was to help other transgender people who might feel unable to move forward with their own lives.
Breaking Into Mainstream Entertainment
Also in 2011, Chaz competed on Dancing with the Stars. His appearance made him the show's first transgender contestant and brought an openly transgender man into millions of American homes.
He later concentrated more seriously on acting.
His credits include appearances in The Bold and the Beautiful and multiple seasons of American Horror Story, including Roanoke and Cult.
Acting allowed audiences to see Chaz as more than a public figure discussing his transition. He could simply be an actor playing different characters.
Using Visibility to Create Understanding
Chaz has also spent years advocating for LGBTQ+ people.
In 2012, GLAAD made him the first transgender recipient of its Stephen F. Kolzak Award, recognizing his work promoting equality and his willingness to share his story publicly.
His visibility has been particularly meaningful for transgender men, who historically received much less mainstream representation.
Chaz has spoken about growing up without visible transgender men he could look to for understanding. Today, his own story has become part of the representation that was missing when he was young.
Living Life on His Own Terms
Chaz Bono's story shows why people should have the opportunity to define themselves and tell their own stories.
He transformed a deeply personal journey into books, documentaries, television appearances, acting roles, and advocacy.
Most importantly, he has remained open about being a transgender man while continuing to build a life and career beyond his transition.
For people searching for examples of transgender men confidently living as themselves, Chaz Bono remains an important and highly visible figure in American entertainment.