I think it is fabulous that Chaz Bono is a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” this season. He is the first transgendered competitor on the show, and one of the first on television, and I think his presence is going to push our culture in a positive, more inclusive direction. And I am appalled by the opposition that his participation has wrought, particularly all the mean-spirited and ignorant comments from people who don’t have any understanding of the experience of being transgendered yet think they can stand in judgment of another person’s choices – especially when the ignorance comes from professionals who ought to know better. That is to say, it’s bad enough that narrow-minded moms are insisting they don’t want their children to set eyes on Chaz – although their indignation begs the question: How would children even know Chaz is not a bio-man, just from watching the show? It is even worse when Bryan Fisher of the American Family Association, a professed Christian, tries to score political points by directing his self-righteous venom at Chaz, venom he usually reserves for Muslims:
Chaz Bono, the surgically-altered daughter of Sonny and Cher, has become America’s newest celebrity by appearing on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”