Chaz Bono In His Own Words: 'Being Chaz,' 'Dancing With The Stars,' & The Courage to Be Yourself

Chaz Bono of “Dancing with the Stars” acclaim and star of the documentary “Becoming Chaz” is opening his life once again for a new documentary to be aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network called “Being Chaz.”

Bono, the son of Cher and the late Sonny Bono, opened up his home to camera crews so they could document his new life as a man and the changing dynamic between him and his fiancée. The documentary peeks into the life of possibly the world’s most famous transgender man as he prepares for “Dancing with the Stars” amid a right-wing media blitzkrieg protesting his inclusion on the show.

“We shot (the documentary) during kind of a crazy time in my life. Going into it I didn’t anticipate a lot of the stuff that happened during that time,” says Bono.

Bono is mindful of the role his life in the public eye has played in educating people who may have otherwise had no grasp of transgender issues.

“I was terrified to transition because I knew I couldn’t do it privately,” says Bono.

However, he says the attention surrounding his transition can play a positive role in society. Bono had to abandon worrying about what others would think in order to transition and live his life happily. He says one of the number one misconceptions about transgender people is the public’s lack of understanding the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation.

“The one thing I learned throughout all of this is the courage to be myself.”

“Being Chaz” will debut on the Oprah Winfrey Network Sunday November 27.

Follow SheWired on Twitter!

Follow SheWired on Facebook!