For numerous individuals, Cher became their first acquaintance with the mother of a transgender person. Still, as per Cher and Chaz, the singer’s initial reaction to his coming out was unfavorable.
Cher narrated, “It took me a minute. Because you’ve been with a child for 40 years, and then all of a sudden … but you know what? Chaz was so happy!”
Cher and Chaz Bono attend Cher’s hand and footprint ceremony in Hollywood, California, on November 18, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
However, over a decade later, Cher had poignant and compelling words to offer other parents of transgender children. She aimed to help them comprehend that they were not losing the child they raised.
Chaz Bono adjusts his tie prior to appearing on stage at the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in Australia, on February 26, 2014. | Source: Getty Images
Cher stressed the ongoing importance of their child’s happiness to parents when advising others on understanding and reacting to their children coming out as transgender. The singer illustrated the importance of empathizing with the experience. She likened it to waking up one day feeling like a completely different person. She described it as being unable to express one’s true self.
Cher and Chaz Bono attend the rally at the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017. | Source: Getty Images
“And that’s what I have to tell a mother or father: You are who you are, but how would you feel if you were someone else and you couldn’t be that someone else? That’s how I had to get it, ” noted Cher. The singer acknowledged her initial struggles in comprehending this perspective but expressed pride in her growth and understanding over time.