Chaz Bono Speaks Out On Sex Change

Sexual reassignment was the "best decision I ever made," Chaz Bono says.

By kelly barbieri — Written on Nov 19, 2009

Chaz Bono has always been very public about his ongoing transition from female to male, and continued to be courageously upfront during an interview on "Good Morning America" this morning. Celebitchy reports:

Chaz was nervous on GMA at first but then he got into his stride and seemed to become more comfortable talking about it. You could really hear the changes in his voice, which was deeper and sounded kind of like an adolescent boy. This makes sense because Chaz said of his change that he was “literally going through puberty.” He's been having hormone treatments for about eight months and has had his breasts surgically removed.

According to Bono, one of the biggest hurdles in making the decision was knowing that, as a public figure, the public would be a part of his journey whether he liked it or not.

The first thing that was just an incredible hurdle was the idea that I wasn't going to be able to do this privately like most people can. That took a really long time to get over. And then, I think it was about dealing with the people in my life and how it was going to affect them. And finally, it came down to realizing that I got to live my life for myself. And life is short and life is precious, and this is who I am I need to finally be who I am. This was a very difficult decision to make, but it was the best decision I've ever made. I am happier, more confident. I feel great… It would almost be easy to say why did I wait so long to do this, except I'm a person who believes things happen when they're supposed to happen. I was ready when I was supposed to be ready. Are Gender Differences A Myth?

Bono also discussed gender identity:

To me, gender is between your ears not between your legs. I've felt male as far back as I can remember. As a child, it was really clear…. I felt like a boy. Female Vs Male Brain: Is There A Difference?

As a public figure, Bono has become the poster boy for the transgender movement, something he is comfortable with after years of speaking out for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Can I Find Love If I'm Transgendered?

I don't look at it as campaigning. I struggled a lot getting here. If by being public about it other people can see this and not have to struggle quite as much as I did, then I'm really happy to do that. If I can make help things easier legislation wise, I'm happy to do that as well. I've been an activist in the LGBT community for a long time, I don't really think that anything's changed… I'm just a little more focused on the T now than the L and the G.

Although middle-aged Americans might be confused or put off by little Chastity Bono becoming a man, it's hard to believe that anyone could not root for the guy. Making such a radical decision so publicly must put unbelievable pressure on Bono, but he handles it all with courage and grace: