Chaz Bono legally changed his name and gender in Santa Monica Thursday.

According to TMZ, the transgender son of Cher and the late congressman Sonny Bono, he was born Chastity Sun Bono in 1969. He has since petitioned to legally change his gender on legal documents and change his name to Chaz Salvatore. He was represented by the Transgender Law Center in court.

"Chaz couldn't be happier," said Kristina Wertz of the Transgender Law Center. "This is an important step in his transition and will allow him to change a variety of his identity documents to who he truly is."

< ;p>Chaz came out as a lesbian in 1995, but began questioning his gender identity in 2001.

Chaz once said the sex-change process to turn him from a woman to a man was "the best decision I've ever made."

Chaz' physical transformation began last year starting with hormones and surgery to remove his breasts. Last year he declined to say whether he planned to have the rest of the surgery done, too, saying below the belt was too private of a matter to discuss publicly.

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