Response to Professor

Chastity Bono has begun transitioning her gender. What are your thoughts on this story especially after taking this class?

Chaz (Chasity Bono) needs to do what makes him happy. I can’t imagine feeling like I am trapped in a foreign body that I can’t relate to and forced to live according to how society believes I should. As long as he is happy who cares what other people think or how they feel. A person should have the right to choose what they do with their body without interference from the society they live in or its government as long as their choice doesn’t hurt or harm anyone.

In an article on the Daily News website his representative states that “Chaz, came to this decision after many years of consideration and has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity”. This must have been a tuff decision to make which had to involve considering so many things such as being on hormonal treatments for the rest of his life; let alone the surgery and the psychological things he has to deal with. I do feel sorry for him not being able to go through this process in privacy because he’s a celebrity or son of one. Hopefully his decision to change his gender physically will have a positive impact by educating people about transgender individuals.

Based on the non scientific poll that the Daily News has with this article asking the question f “How would you react if a close relative switched genders? “61% of the people said they would find it hard to accept. If we took this poll at face value it pretty much says that our society does not accept or recognize transgender’s. It amazes me how people are so quick to judge and not even acknowledge the scientific evidence that exist about transgender’s.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/06/11/2009-06-11_chastity_bono_is_changing_gender_from_female_to_male.html