Chaz Bono gets transgender surgery as a man, files court papers

Chaz Bono, formerly known as Chastity Bono, filed court papers in order to formally change his name and gender.  Chastity Bono, who is the son/daughter of Sonny & Cher, had transgender surgery and came out as a man, now Chaz Bono.  Chaz was born female, but the 41-year-old believes the decision to get the gender operation done was one of the best decisions he's made.

According to Fox News, Bono began taking special hormones to live as a man in 2009, not long after his birthday.  A gender operation was performed, although details weren't put forth.  A well known gender surgeon (aka genital reassignment surgeon), Dr. Marci Bowers, noted that the way in which an operation is done can vary by patient.  Some choose to have a particular modification made to the chest area, others choose to have their female genitalia changed through a vaginectomy, while some choose to keep their female parts for sexual gratification.

Bono's operation was performed back on September 23, 2009 by Dr. Michael Brownstein who notes in the paperwork that he performed the irreversible procedure to change Bono's gender.  TMZ.com has obtained a copy of the papers and presents them here as a PDF file.  The proposed name change would be from Chastity Sun Bono to Chaz Salvatore Bono.  A hearing on Chaz Bono's petition request for name and gender change is scheduled to be heard on May 6, 2010.