Chastity Bono, daughter of Sonny and Cher, to have sex change operation

The child of singer Cher and the late Sonny Bono, Chaz Bono (born Chastity), will undergo a sex change operation, according to a spokesperson.

"Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. [He hopes] that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago," said Howard Bragman, Bono's publicist.

Bono, a journalist, gay rights activist, singer, actor and author, was 18 when she came out to his parents as a lesbian, and was outed publicly two years later by a tabloid magazine. She wrote a memoir titled Family Outing that her mother Cher was not happy about. She says Cher banned her from their apartment for some time after coming out. Eventually Cher reconciled the issue within herself and the two repaired their relationship. Bono, 40, was most recently seen on television in 2006 on the reality show Celebrity Fit Club to lose weight and to give up smoking.

According to Bragman, Chaz began the transition from female to male in early 2009.

LGBT groups were quick to support Bono's transition, with GLAAD announcing in a press release, "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people".