# Chastity Bono -\> Chaz Bono **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 12, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512 "2009-06-12T01:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clovernook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Clovernook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clovernook)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/1 "2009-06-12T01:21:39Z")
I saw on [cnn.com](http://cnn.com) tonight that Chastity Bono, noted lesbian, is now transitioning to to become a male. [http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/06/11/ent.chastity.bono/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/06/11/ent.chastity.bono/index.html) My question is, since she’s now transitioning to a man, was she always a lesbian? Did her lesbianism transmogrify into a gender identification issue? Once she transitions to Chaz, will he still be a lesbian? ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/2 "2009-06-12T02:16:57Z")
Nah, he was always a straight man if he’s attracted to women. I mean, even if he believed his uncomfortableness in the gender ascribed to him was actually just being a lesbian, deep down (we’ll have to assume, since he’s transitioning) he’s always been a man. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/3 "2009-06-12T02:17:34Z")
> [@Clovernook](#): > > My question is, since she’s now transitioning to a man, was she always a lesbian? Up until the transition, yes, she was a lesbian > [@](#): > > Did her lesbianism transmogrify into a gender identification issue? No, the vast, overwhelming majority of lesbians never want to be a man. There is no reason to think the two are related. > [@](#): > > Once she transitions to Chaz, will he still be a lesbian? No. Assuming Chaz is still attracted to women he will then be heterosexual. Unless he also suddenly finds men attractive, in which case he will be bisexual. If he winds up being attracted to men _instead of_ women then he will be homosexual. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/4 "2009-06-12T02:21:32Z")
I honestly thought that is what [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=520720) was going to be debating. No, I guess they meant literally. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/5 "2009-06-12T02:27:37Z")
So, two opposite opinions already. I generally would stick to **Broomstick** ’s until Bono says otherwise. Bono claimed to be a lesbian, so I’d give that the benefit of the doubt, until we are told otherwise. I mean, **Electric Warrior** ’s position seems sound, but I’m not sure all transsexuals think that way. I’ve heard of a MTF transsexual who referred to herself preop as “back when I was a man.” Of course, since it was second hand at best, I’m not sure if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/6 "2009-06-12T03:00:43Z")
Raised eyebrow (had Chaz been openly male before?) but if he is and always was a he, then he is not a lesbian. I’d have gone by Chad, but that’s just me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/7 "2009-06-12T03:02:28Z")
Isn’t Chaz short for Charles? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/8 "2009-06-12T06:16:47Z")
Once Chastity has all of the operations, will she then have had as many surgeries as Cher? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/9 "2009-06-12T09:32:28Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Once Chastity has all of the operations, will she then have had as many surgeries as Cher? Never. Cher will always have more, and there’s no way for Chaz to catch up. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/10 "2009-06-12T09:42:05Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > So, two opposite opinions already. I generally would stick to **Broomstick** ’s until Bono says otherwise. Bono claimed to be a lesbian, so I’d give that the benefit of the doubt, until we are told otherwise. > > I mean, **Electric Warrior** ’s position seems sound, but I’m not sure all transsexuals think that way. I’ve heard of a MTF transsexual who referred to herself preop as “back when I was a man.” Of course, since it was second hand at best, I’m not sure if it’s true. I think they’re both saying the same thing, really. If Chastity was a man in a woman’s body, then she was a straight man in a lesbian’s body. So it’s kinda like she wasn’t a lesbian, but a straight man (since she identifies as male and is presumably still attracted to women), but her body was a lesbian! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/11 "2009-06-12T10:15:24Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Once Chastity has all of the operations, will she then have had as many surgeries as Cher? I have learned over the years that, in fact, many transsexuals do not have “all the surgeries”, particularly female-to-male transsexuals do not always have “all the surgeries”. With these threads I always hope the transsexual Dopers will drop in and educate the rest of us. On the other hand, given what kind of mess these thread can turn into, I also don’t blame them for not getting involved. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/12 "2009-06-12T10:41:07Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > I’d have gone by Chad, but that’s just me. 🙂 I’d have gone by Chez, but that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/13 "2009-06-12T12:05:59Z")
Given the World’s Best Surgeons, how good could F2M SRS be? Could the genitalia 'work?" Would he scare children at the YMCA locker room? ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/14 "2009-06-12T12:19:27Z")
So, Chastity is gonna have an adadictume… ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/15 "2009-06-12T12:22:43Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Once Chastity has all of the operations, will she then have had as many surgeries as Cher? If Cher has another facelift, it’ll be a Caesarian. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/16 "2009-06-12T12:39:26Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Given the World’s Best Surgeons, how good could F2M SRS be? Could the genitalia 'work?" Would he scare children at the YMCA locker room? My understanding is that they indeed “work” and look real. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/17 "2009-06-12T12:54:30Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Could the genitalia 'work?" For certain values of “work”. Obviously they can never produce children. Erectile function is achieved by means of a hand operated pump and a pneumatic implant. Capable of penetration? Sure. Capable of producing orgasm? If the surgeon is really good _and_ really lucky. ---
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/18 "2009-06-12T14:33:33Z")
I think it’s great he’s appropriating a ‘WASP’ name. Go Chaz! ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/19 "2009-06-12T14:55:08Z")
Good for Chaz! I wish him all the luck in the world. ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512/20 "2009-06-12T15:17:50Z")
I hate this. He has the chance to choose any name in the world for himself, and he chooses “Chaz”. Bleagh. Good for him otherwise, though. I don’t even have the bravery to come out to most people! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chastity-bono-chaz-bono/499512.md?page=2)