Chaz Bono is set to appear on the 13th season of popular television franchise Dancing With the Stars, and a lot of bigots are freaking out about it and probably stocking up on canned goods for when the apocalypse begins on September 19th.
These alleged freakouts, which have been making headlines all over the internets, began on fan message boards. From JustOut:
…Bono has been the most talked-about participant on ABC’s website, with many commenters voicing anger, disgust, and confusion that they may have to watch *gasp* a transgender person on television:
“HUGE HUGE fan of this show since season two and eagerly await each season to get my dancing/entertainment ‘fix’!! But when I heard that Chaz Bono was going to be on, I was sick. Not that I have anything personally again her/him, I just don’t want that lifestyle choice continually flaunted in the media esp ABC.”
“Chaz Bono How low can this show sink. Well you have certainly addressed the gay commuity. Guess this will not be a family show any longer!!!! Lost my family!”
“YOUR choice to bring Chaz Bono into the mix goes too far. I am not about to risk the potential for on screen dialogue about sex changes and gender confusion while my 7 and 9 year old are watching. If you want the ‘anything goes’ hippy culture, then soon that is all you will get. You’ve lost us. In case any of you are wondering … no, we are NOT tolerant. We are not tolerant to allow any and all influences to come unfiltered into our home and especially to our children. This is truly a sad farewell.”
The angry ABC fans appear to be in the minority, however. Supporters are speaking up, including Chaz’s dance partner, Lacey Schwimmer:
“It’s disappointing,” Schwimmer told TheInsider.com of negative reactions to Bono posted on ABC’s website and cruel jokes made at his expense on late night TV.
“No human is perfect, so why are they pointing out what they perceive to be an imperfection in someone else? It’s not cool. We’re all taught to not bully, or harass, and treat everyone as equals yet all these people are doing exactly the opposite,” she says.
I feel a little weird about her usage of the term “imperfection,” but I think in general it’s clear that she’s supportive, regardless of linguistic slip-ups.
Chaz’s mother, Cher, has also tweeted her support of her son’s involvement:
So, what’s the verdict? We’re at an interesting place in time now when mainstream society is becoming increasingly accepting of lesbian and gay people with remarkable speed — it seems like every month people like us more (except the GOP). But transphobia hasn’t seen such a dramatic transformation, it remains alive and well and even socially acceptable. Jokes about transpeople are still fodder for mainstream entertainment and the rates of suicide, homelessness and violence against trans people remain astronomical.
So I venture to suggest that the media reaction to Chaz Bono’s casting has still been largely positive and slightly encouraging. The outraged message board posters don’t concern me, really — anonymous internet commenters represent a relatively douchebaggy segment of society no matter what the topic is (not on this website, however!).
The fact remains that Cher and Chaz’s dance partner stood up for him and that Dancing With the Stars is apparently unafraid of potentially losing advertisers by casting a trans man. Regardless of how you feel about Chaz Bono‘s position as a de facto trans representative , I feel like this casting decision will do more good than harm.
I’m interested in what you think about all this but before I turn it over to you, I thought I’d take this opportunity to publicly share those present and former Dancing With the Stars contestants who I feel have pushed an unfair agenda onto my unborn children. You know, while we’re on the topic of “things I don’t want to see on my teevee screen.”
AHEM.
Dancing With the Stars Contestants Who Have Pushed an Unfair Agenda Upon My Unborn Children:
+
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore
++
Adam Carolla
Nancy Grace
+
Bristol Palin
+
Kate Gosselin
+
Tucker Carlson
+
And finally…
Tom DeLay
DeLay is literally a repulsive human being who, in addition to being homophobic, racist, and anti-choice, Delay is partially responsible for the entire financial meltdown of the entire fucking United States of Fucking America!
Pingback: Cher Defends Chaz Bono on DWTS; Calls Critics Bigots | cesaryasin media
amen.
like…ron artest? has anyone read up on his background if needed? clearly a domestic abuser is more pure and holy than a transgender individual. like bitches PUHLEASE.
i hope that bigots being emo over chaz turns into an awareness life lesson. the rude comments ive read are kind of astounding, and i hope lgbt allies feel as offended as i do.
you’re an lgbt allie. THERE ARE LEGIONS?
yeah there are actually a few of them who have been charged with assault or withholding child support but since these cases never go to trial, I didn’t include them. but seriously like 35% of the cast has at one time been charged with a crime from drunk driving to perjury.
but god forbid there be a transgender person, amirite.
[sarcasm]
Of course he’s less offensive. He has a penis. And he beats women to prove it.
[/sarcasm]
“I feel a little weird about her usage of the term “imperfection,” but I think in general it’s clear that she’s supportive, regardless of linguistic slip-ups.”
Just my interpretation, but she said:
“No human is perfect, so why are they pointing out *what they perceive to be* an imperfection in someone else? ”
I don’t see Lacey as saying these *is* an ‘imperfection’, but rather that these ppl who have plenty of imperfections of their own are pointing out something *they* see as an ‘imperfection’ in others. Or are you taking issue with her using such mild characterization? (It is more than an ‘imperfection’ they think they see.)
This is how I interpreted it too.
If these Bigots ever listened when the bible was read in church, or if they cared to listen to what Jesus had to tell them, they would know that they ought take the plank from their eyes before attempting to remove the splinter from anyone else’s.
But that is just my (and Jesus’) opinion.
Well, in a FMK of Bristol, Kate, and Nancy, Kate would be the fuck. However, the kill would be me, so I wouldnt have to marry Nancy or Bristol.
Dancing With the Stars is a family show? News to me…
I actually heard about this first from my mom and we are both APPALLED with these people! Why on Earth would you choose to A. Make your life harder by being the victim of bigotry and B. Undergo what I might consider terrifying genital surgery and crazy hormone therapy unless you felt your life was not worth living without the change?
WHY? It doesn’t sound like it would be very fun!
These people are so afraid that their children are going to become aware of the trans community and they’ll jump up and say, “that sounds like fun, I want to do it!”
One of these groups that push the bigot agenda is Mission:America who consider trans* people to all be “cross-dressers.” The leader of Mission:America, Linda Harvey recently said:
“There’s one big fact that’s not backed up. There is no proof that there’s ever anything like a gay, lesbian or bisexual or transgendered child, or teen or human. One of the other things you’re gonna see as I mentioned is a big campaign GLSEN’s gonna roll out this year calling for ‘respect,’ respect! Not just for people, but for homosexual lifestyle. The PR campaign to hold up gay as a good thing: the lifestyle, not the person, because there are no such humans.”
Apparently, guys, we don’t exist. Good luck getting a job being imaginary and all.
You know… being imaginary kind of screws up my life goals. I wish they had mentioned it sooner so I could’ve planned accordingly. How inconvenient. *sigh*
You know I think it’s kind of funny that Mission:America could blatantly deny the existence of homosexuals all in the name of their god who, funnily enough, has just loads of proof of existence
I want to know what world the haters are living in that professional dancing is career path for the straight God-fearing USA USA moral fabric of America Christian. Because that’s not the world of professional dance that I know!
All of these words. Fuck the haters.
If I hear one more fucking word about Chaz Bono I’m going to punch someone.
I cannot – ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT wait until a transgender person on television means NOTHING.
Honestly, it’s great that a dialogue has been started but if I hear one more table I’m serving or bus rider commenting or person in line at the grocery store make a transphobic comment, with or without my trans partner beside me, I’m going to fucking flip.
“If I hear one more fucking word about Chaz Bono I’m going to punch someone.”
I’m curious… What exactly are the 7 and 9 year olds going to ask if they watch the show? It’s a man dancing with a woman. Isn’t that what the show has always had? It will be the PARENTS who will inform the children who Chaz is if the “poor children” are going to be scarred. ABC isn’t doing anything repulsive by letting a man dance with a woman.
That’s a really good point. I’m pretty sure they’re not going to announce him each dance as the transgender contestant…
yeah regardless i don’t think the kids are gonna know that chaz is trans, you know? he’ll just be a guy dancing on the tv.
I love that Cher stepped up on twitter calling these people out and using Chaz’s correct pronouns (something relatively new in her public discussions of him).
My mom calls it “mama bear coming out.”
I know violence it not the answer but I literally threw a muffin (non-vegan) at an acquittance because she was saying some cray-cray bs about Chaz and trans* people in general. It was reflexive and there was no thought to it, maybe I should get help? Nah. She was shocked, SHOCKED at what I did and accused me of coming out as trans* because WHY WOULD I HAVE DONE SOMETHING SO EXTREME!!!
Anyway I told her I’m not and so what if I was it still made me a better person than her EVEN with the muffin chucking at her stupid head. I really should feel bad but I don’t feel bad, I in fact feel liberated but will of course apologize sometime in the near future for the muffin chucking.
So don’t chuck muffins, you your words (or do both just realize the potential consequences).
*use your words….yea
What’s interesting is no is complaining about Carson Kressley being in DWTS. He’s openly gay and no one is attacking him about his gender, sexuality, or physique. Chaz is a straight male, engaged to his straight female fiance, and who cares how much he weighs? Football players have been on DWTS and were close to his same physique.
Parts of America are so opposed to accepting everyone as they are. It’s just sad. I hope Chaz makes it through to the later rounds and proves himself as a dancer…just a dude, who can dance.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/princess-boy-transgender-kids-primetime-nightline-14425305
From the some of the comments I saw, it appears that there’s a good chunk of people who don’t know the difference between gay and trans*
I LOVE CHAZ BONO. Fucking bravest person ever. Fuck the haters!
WHAT EVEN. I think I spent all of three seconds remembering Chaz Bono was transgendered and then going “oh, cool” and moving on with my life. It’s hard for me to understand how people can still be so unwilling to accept trans people. I have friends who are completely unfazed by the gay, but bring up drag queens or transgendered friends and their noses turn up. It makes me sad and also really confused.
In other news, Hope Solo is on this show now and all of those people would be better off discussing how unbelievably sexy her arms are and whether or not this will benefit the Women’s Professional Soccer league.
I just realized that Chaz Bono looks just like Val Kilmer. I am now thinking of what Kiss Kiss Bang Bang would have been like with Chaz Bono playing Gay Perry
Heh. God knows nothing says “hippy culture” like a big, clean-shaven guy in a suit and a flattop.
I had that exact same thought, lol. it’s like that entire segment of America is a sea of Eric Cartmans.
I read this real fast and thought it said David Schwimmer was dancing with Chaz. Now there’s an awesome mental image.
But can he dance?
One of the groups of bigots attacking ABC for Chaz’s participation is onemillionmoms.com, a website sponsored by the AFA. They’re trying to email bomb Anne Sweeny, ABC’s president, with complaints. I made it a point of getting Anne Sweeny’s contact info from their website and sending her a personal “Thank You” and “Hoorah for acknowledging diversity”. plus chaz bono is about the only reason i would watch that show to begin with.
i’m a young trans person and it makes me sick that people are calling chaz out for appearing on tv. i hate having to hear that i am somehow repugnant and should be kept away from children, that no one like me can be included in anything because of the “controversy”. seeing outrage like this reminds me that i’ve no idea what’s going to become of me later in life. i want to transition and stop getting misgendered, but there’ll still be people out there who use the wrong pronouns no matter what, and that hurts.