The Cultural Shift

James Malone

The world is changing, or at least that is what one would think when comparing a snapshot of yesterday to a snapshot of today.

And there is no greater demonstration of that change than the changing reaction to begotten sexual taboos i.e., Chaz Bono’s participation in the ABC reality show “Dancing With the Stars.”

Born Chastity Sun Bono to musicians Sonny and Cher, she came out as a lesbian in 1995 and soon thereafter entered into advocacy for gay and lesbian causes. However, she still felt incomplete as a person.

In 2008, she underwent surgery in 2008 to change, or in her words, “correct” her gender. She is now a man and legally known as Chaz Salvatore Bono by the state of California.

He made his ordeal into a documentary film “Becoming Chaz,” to which the Oprah Winfrey Network owns the rights and aired it this May. After the documentary grew popular among the supports and members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bixesual and Transgender) community, his celebrity grew, too, hence the invite to participate on “Dancing With the Stars.”

And it sparks a controversy: Not everyone is comfortable with a transgender on a nationally televised show.

After releasing the contest list, ABC became flooded with emails and phone calls condemning the selection of Bono to be a contestant on the reality show. The American Family Association (AFA), a socially conservative watchdog group, issued a condemnation for having Bono on the show. Bryan Fischer, the director of issues analysis for the AFA, declared Bono nothing more than a “surgically-mutilated female.”

But others are not faded by the AFA’s condemnation of Bono, such as Bennie Thompson, a transgender woman and member of MCC.

She thinks it is great that Bono is on the show, and a sign that transgenderism is no longer controversial today.

“I think it is a sign of the progress that has been made in over the last decade,” Thompson said. “It shows how we have all become more accepting of the differences of others.”

Thomas Shoemaker, a professor of religious studies at MCC, agrees with Thompson. He said that this also a sign of change in America.

“As polls already do seem to indicate, marriage equality is becoming more acceptable. It does seem that transgenderism is less of an issue,” he said.

But he added that Bono’s participation on the show does not necessarily mean America has become completely accepting of transgender Americans.

“It may simply mean that the show producers knew that having Bono on the show would attract controversy and increase viewership,” he said.

The fact that there has been no viewer boycotting does seem to confirm that there is a growing indifference to the gender of others.

One MCC student indicated that although he does not approve of the transgender lifestyle, Bono’s participation on the show has no impact on whether or not he watches the show.

“I really do not care about Chaz Bono. I have no idea who that is,” he said.

 

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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