Chaz Bono and his Dancing with the
Stars partner Lacey Schwimmer say they have been inspired by an
overwhelming “positive response.”
Bono's appearance on the reality
dancing competition had been criticized by social conservatives who
argued that the show would leave children watching confused. Bono,
the child of gay icon Cher and the late entertainer-politician Sonny
Bono, is a transgender man.
During an appearance Wednesday on the
CBS daytime talk show The Talk, Bono said he and Schwimmer
paid little attention to their detractors, but were inspired by the
support they received.
“Neither of us have paid attention to
the critics. But the positive response we've gotten, because of what
the critics started, has been so overwhelming that that's been really
inspirational. I want to do a good job you know for all the people
who are just being so supportive of us.”
Bono added that his mother was also a
fan: “She was very supportive, but I think very surprised. Because
I'm just not known as that performer guy in my family.” (The video
is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
(Related: Megyn
Kelly calls Keith Ablow's attacks on Chaz Bono “irresponsible.”)