Bono Chaz - Chaz Bono

Published in 2017 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2017 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gitlin, Marty, author.

Title: Chaz Bono / Martin Gitlin.

Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2017. | Series: Transgender pioneers | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015047415 | ISBN 9781508171577 (library bound) Subjects: LCSH: Bono, ChazJuvenile literature. | Transgender peopleUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. | TranssexualsUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. Classification: LCC HQ77.8.B66 G57 2016 | DDC 306.76/8092dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015047415

Manufactured in China

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

For Chaz Bono, life has been a bumpy journey filled with many struggles and remarkable triumphs. As the son of celebrity parents Sonny and Cher, Chaz's childhood was no walk in the park. Frequent moves, an unstable home environment, and his parents' highly publicized divorce made for a challenging upbringing. Throughout his teenage years and much of his adult life, Bono suffered from depression as he came to terms with his sexual orientation and gender identity. His path to happiness was made all the more difficult because it was charted in the public eye. As the son of legendary entertainers, his every move has drawn media attention.

As a young child, Chaz could internally sense that he was a boy (Chaz had been assigned female at birth). His mother and his overbearing nanny both pushed him into behaving more "like a girl" and wearing dresses and other clothes traditionally associated with girls. As a teenager, Chaz reached the conclusion that he was a lesbian. However, he still wondered why he felt so masculine. Then, as an adult, Bono searched for meaning and contentment in relationships and an unsuccessful music career. In his thirties, he hid from his problems, abusing prescription drugs and becoming reclusive; however, such a lifestyle left him isolated. Bono finally found happiness only by embracing his true identity and transitioning to live openly as a transgender man.

Along the way, there were key relationships that shaped him. There was a constant struggle with his mother, who feared the loss of her child and had concerns about the safety of hormone therapy and surgical procedures. There were girlfriends who struggled to understand and accept Bono's identity. And, sadly, there were the deaths of both the first love of his life and of his father.

In the end, however, Bono overcame all those obstacles when he realized that the only person he needed to please was his true self. He reached a point at which he knew that he must live without fear of how others would perceive him. He could no longer be afraid of the media, his mother, or girlfriends. He could not fear bigots who refused to accept his gender identity and rights as a transgender man. It took bravery for Bono to overcome those fears and become the person he was always meant to be.

Bono provided the world a life lesson through his courage and convictions. He showed one and all that the search for happiness is the most important mission in life and that happiness is the result of being true to one's self. He overcame his personal struggles and reemerged as a successful reality television entertainer, an accomplished author, and an advocate for LGBTQ rights.

F our-year-old Chaz Bono was wearing a shiny orange dress, just like his mother. He smiled for everyone watching. His parents loved to show off how cute he was. They were no different than any mom and dad in that way. But this was no dinner party in front of family and friends. Chaz was on stage entertaining hundreds of people in a studio audienceand millions more watching on television. His folks hosted The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, one of America's top-rated variety shows of the 1970s. Chaz was too young to understand that he was a star. Chaz was also too young to understand his gender identity. Born on March 4, 1969, Chaz was assigned female at birth. Later in life Bono would come to identify as male.

Sonny Bono and Cherilyn Sarkisian (better known as simply Cher) had skyrocketed to stardom in the mid-1960s as the singing duo Sonny and Cher. Their anthem of love and togetherness titled "I Got You, Babe" shot to number one on the charts in the summer of 1965. A number of other hits followed. However, by the time Chaz began appearing on their television show in the early 1970s, the adoration they continued to show for each other publicly was fading in their private life. Their marriage was failing. Chaz was just a child when his parents' divorce became official in 1975.

HIT-MAKING PARENTS

Though Sonny and Cher exploded onto the music scene as a duo, Cher was far more successful as a solo artist. The pairs breakout hit I Got You, Babe was their only song that reached number one in the United States, though four other singles soared to the top spot overseas.

Cher, however, became a solo superstar, pumping out hits during her time with Sonny and thereafter, especially in the early 1970s. Her song Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (penned by Sonny Bono) reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1966. Three further singlesGypsies, Tramps & Thieves (1971), Half-Breed (1973), and Dark Lady (1974)all skyrocketed to number one. Each of them was released after Chaz was born.

Cher later had a successful acting career, a high-paying residency in Las Vegas, and a string of hits in the late 1980s. Her biggest smash, however, might have been Believe. Released in 1998, the song climbed to number one in eight different countries, including the United States.

Like most people, Bono can't recall his days as a toddler. However, old photos and video clips would later tell him the story of a miscast child. Pictures showed a young child dressed in frilly pink dresses and velvet pantsuits, sporting blonde curls as Chaz's adoring parents look on. However, even from a young age, Chaz knew the role wasn't right.

Looking back, Chaz also sees a childhood without roots. His mother moved from one home to another, dragging Chaz along with her. He spent time with his father, too, but because his parents were so busyin fact, they continued their show together even well after their divorceChaz became closer to his nanny, Linda, than either parent. Linda gave Chaz the warmth and attention that all children crave. Chaz received little satisfaction when visiting his father, who was a workaholic. Though he eventually came to embrace his relationship with his dad, Chaz often felt lonely at his house. He spent most of his time there pining for Linda.