Media and gender: How has the story of Chaz Bono impacted media’s portrayal of transgender people?

The coverage of transgender issues in serious media is relatively new and has been on the rise. In fact, the amount of stories covering this issue on the major networks and cable news programs in the United States nearly doubled in 2007 compared to 2006 (Hollar, 2007). Despite the fact that this topic is becoming less taboo, and is more frequently treated as socially and politically important, the coverage has still been predominately sensationalistic. For example, the controversy surrounding the pregnancy of a transgender male, Thomas Beatie, in 2008 was headline news for months, while the first-ever congressional hearing on transgender issues and the beating of a transgender woman in Memphis were barely mentioned (Kalter, 2008)

In June 2009, Chaz Bono, the only child of celebrities Cher and Sonny Bono, publicly announced that he was undergoing female-to-male gender transition. In 2011, Chaz Bono competed on the popular reality television show, Dancing with the Stars. At both points, Bono was interviewed and talked about in the national media. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact a high-profile celebrity has on the media’s portrayal of transgendered people. As has been discussed, media coverage of transgendered people and issues has often been narrow and sensationalized. This study seeks to add to this body of literature by examining national media coverage during the periods of time during Bono’s announcement regarding his transition, and during his appearance on Dancing with the Stars.