It should come as a surprise to no one that the same demographic that so desperately needed Bristol Palin to win Dancing With The Stars is having fits over post-op transgendered contestant Chaz Bono. It's been mentioned that reality television is not my forte, to put it politely, but this is less about the nail-biting conclusion to a glitzy dance competition and more about how humanity will perform. Will a bigoted bias reign over the show's results and run Chaz out of the competition? Or could his performances actually be judged fairly by the small-minded masses? (Palin came in third, by the way.)"In the past, the ABC celebrity ballroom dancing show has included Lance Bass and Margaret Cho, who are both proud members of the LGBT community," SheWired.com reported. However Chaz is the show's first openly transgendered contestant. "Media critics are wondering what a public vote for Bono as a contestant on DWTS will reveal about people’s attitudes towards the LGBT community." If the web offers a fair sampling, the odds aren't in Chaz' favor-- yet.Reuters citing the following unfortunate examples from the Dancing With The Stars message boards:"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 [sic]. 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.""Chaz will have to dance with one of the girls because she/he says she/he is a man but chromesomes [sic] say different no matter how many surgeries you have."A group supporting Chaz has already sprung up on Twitter, fighting against the backlash with a more positive message of tolerance and acceptance. Does Chaz Bono stand a chance against a conservative demographic persecuting his how he feels compelled to live his life? Or could a loyal web-following rallying behind him ensure that he gets the opportunity he deserves to represent trans folks in the mainstream media?
re: one comment you cited from a message board above: lifestyle choice my ass. Go Chaz!
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re: one comment you cited from a message board above: lifestyle choice my ass. Go Chaz!