Becoming Chaz: a story of transition
ON SCREEN / Documentary film to screen at Hot Docs, May 8
Xtra staff / National / Wednesday, May 04, 2011
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Director Fenton Bailey, whose work includes The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Party Monster, talks to Peter Knegt about his latest film, Becoming Chaz. The documentary follows the transition of Chastity Bono from a woman to a man and includes reaction from his mother, Cher. The film is screening at Hot Docs on May 8 and will air on the Oprah Winfrey Network on May 10.   



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Reader Comments


 
more boring than the average Joe
A glamorous mother like Cher giving birth to a fat retarded monkey, whose only wish is to be even more boring than the average Joe. How dreary...A tear comes to my eyes...
boring retarded monkey, Toronto Ont
05/12/11 6:16 AM EST
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more boring than the average Joe
Yikes---how mean spirited was that comment? So much for lgbtg compassion and solidarity--
w floyd hutton, toronto on
05/12/11 6:36 AM EST
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Why has “Sex-Change” become so “sacred”
Regardless of LGBT solidarity, the idea that a ravishing glamourous star like Cher gave birth to a fat clumsy stunted imp, who whose major goal in life was to become even more boring that she/he/it was before, sends shivers up the spine of anyone who loves beauty. Chazzz Bono is just so-o-o-o-o-o tediously boring, that the only reason that she/he/it is in the news at all is because of Cher. Why aren't the clumsy, bad-drag, Mexican Trannies, or the longshoremen TRANS in bad-drag, in the news, with films made about them? And further more... Why has “Sex-Change” become so “sacred” and protected as an endangered species, or a national resource, that we cannot talk about it except with reverence, in dulcet tones?!!
Enough TRANS Already, Toronto Ont
05/13/11 2:00 PM EST
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are u for real?
attacking people for the way they look because they don't meet your criteria for what is beautiful or not is plainly the actions of a shallow and incompassionate jerk. The reason people should have a degree of respect for transgenders is the intense suffering that they go through before coming out and then afterwards at the hands of the proudly ignorant, such as we see here. If you are being bombarded with trans stories in your media I can hardly feel pity for you since it's a long overdue subject and might help raise some awareness and create some understanding for a marginalized and often misrepresented group of people who want nothing more than to find happiness in this life by correcting a birth defect. But why would you care? Calling someone a fat retarded monkey encapsulated your level of sensitivity and your low level of intellect better than I could ever.
rhenaiya, saskatoon saskatchewan
05/13/11 4:52 PM EST
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“Sex change” is a “phallusy.”
TRANS surgery is not “correcting a birth defect.” Such “defect” cannot be corrected. Surgically re-sculpting male genitals to resemble a vagina, does not make one a “woman,” since every cell of that body still has XY sex chromosomes and female-to-male still has XX sex chromosomes and uterus and ovaries. “Sex change” is a “phallusy.” It is purely symbolic. The transitioning process does not grow a uterus nor ovaries for a male and the female-to-male constructed penis doesn't work. I could have more compassion but only if I consider that TRANS people are somehow brainwashed to believe that they are not OK the way they were born. I feel sad that they are lured into surgery which is purely cosmetic and has only symbolic value. Apart from that, the contrast of the ultra glamourous Cher and her bungled offspring is still a visual shock and amusing irony. Not everyone has the intelligence to appreciate irony...Of course in the eyes of God mother and child are equal. Well... not every God...Jesus, maybe, but Allah certainly not...Jehovah would be questionable...Oh well, She/he/it is lucky to be living in this time. But in the future Genetic modification may be perfected enough to have a REAL sex change for correcting birth defects.
Amusing Irony, Toronto Ont
05/13/11 6:48 PM EST
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for the armchair experts on transexualism
ok, so hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgeries do not alter a person's sex on a chromosonal level. When was the last time you identified someone on a chromosonal level, uh...never (at least in a social context). One cannot deny the sense of relief a transexual feels when they are accepted and percieved socially to be the person they identify to be, there are way too many success stories by people whose quality of life has improved dramatically after transitioning. We identify eachother primarily based on appearance so when a trans person is able to present themselves as the sex congruent with their gender identity, it eases the suffering both on a social and personal level. When a trans person looks in the mirror and sees a reflection that finally matches their sense of self, the dysphoria is eliminated and the disconnect one feels with their body is repaired. Essentially what I'm saying is that transexuals don't care if they are chromosonally matched to their gender identity, just so long as they are able to recieve social and self acceptance in their true identity, which transitioning achieves for many. But then again you could always ignore all the personal testimonials and scientific research and just trust your gut, I mean you must know everybody else better than they know themselves.
rhenaiya, saskatoon saskatchewan
05/14/11 3:28 PM EST
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gender cues out-of-synch with gender proportions
The chromosomes manifest themselves on a structural level. A person's skeletal structure and inherited proportions continue to full development with the aid of sex hormones at puberty. Once fully developed, the skeletal proportions cannot be reversed with hormone therapy. Male and female proportions may or may not be subtly different to the untrained eyes, but much more evident to someone who has formally studied comparative anatomical structures and physiology, etc. So I do not see people socially on a chromosomal level, but I cannot help notice and be fascinated by people's anatomical structures even at a party. I see the structural and proportional differences technically, but most people notice, intuitively, gender cues which are out-of-synch with gender proportions. People react emotionally, and not necessarily with malice. The reaction itself registers as rejection further adding to gender dysphoria. But which came first, the chicken or the egg? It takes intellectual work and compassion to override the shock of visual incongruities on people. So social acceptance of TRANS or various “Others” is not immediate anywhere in the world and cannot be expected just for the asking. I do admire your compassion, Rhenaiya. You sound quite benevolent. Indeed the mirror often lies for everyone. We all have various fantasy identities that lying mirrors support.
Mirrors Lie, Toronto Ont
05/15/11 4:32 AM EST
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when life gives you lemons...
Of course the concept of transitioning genders is a tough pill to swallow for people who do not feel gender dysphoric, and many of those who are choose an alternative way of coping or correcting the problem. One very common sentiment is that trans people feel overwhelming relief when they are able to express their true identity, and even more so when that identity is respected by others. While hormone therapy and surgeries offer to correct an individuals outward appearance, it isn't perfect. But from the perspective of many transgender people who wish to transition, it is the best help they can find. They want to transition, they seek it out and are not "steered" into doing so. Talk to trans people who have transitioned and you may see that most have experienced a profound positive effect. I see modern srs as having room for improvement yes, but I would not deny it's benefit for trans people. It's like saying that crutches don't fix the problem and it makes someone look unnatural when they try to walk. That may be true but I would rather find a way to ease suffering and improve quality of life than to find the faults in what is available. Trans people are the ones who need help and understanding and that to me is more important than protecting society from feeling uncomfortable in the face of such a stigmatized, difficult human problem. I think it's the same reason people ship off their seniors to homes, because society has trouble stomaching the things that scare them or that they don't relate to or understand, like dying. But then what do I know, I'm just some mixed up transexual ;-)
rhenaiya, saskatoon saskatchewan
05/15/11 5:58 PM EST
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suffering can bring spiritual depth + compassion
@rhenaiya --you write well. Your conceptualizations, comparisons and arguments are intelligent and persuasive. I can sense that your suffering has brought you greater spiritual depth and compassion. You have convinced me and now I have greater respect for you and other TRANS people, especially after having read your Facebook article: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=322606848537&topic=12972 The procedures you describe and the emotional and social turmoil which goes with it must be even more scary in a place like Saskatoon, with one of the highest violent crime rates in Canada. May I suggest that in your future writing, leave out your “last line” style, as a “punch-line.” It distracts and detracts from the intelligence of your main arguments. Some people may see it as a challenge to attack you in return, rather than to consider the validity of your writing. You might try to camouflage your anger with more subtle clever irony or play on words --even for your own amusement.
monkeyboi, Toronto Ont
05/16/11 1:59 AM EST
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perhaps...lol
thank you for the critique. I think you are right about my writing style but it come's naturally and from the heart.
rhenaiya, saskatoon saskatchewan
05/16/11 12:32 PM EST
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