Five prominent transgender voices came together on The Insider last night to discuss the impact of Chaz Bono’s recent appearances on Dancing with the Stars and to show their support for him.
The viewing party consisted of actress and producer Laverne Cox, transgender advocacy attorney for the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) Noah Lewis, NYC LGBT Center Board Member Stephanie Battaglino, former TLDEF legal assistant Mari Rosenberger, and Name Change Project participant and poet Kit Yan. Watch the clip below:
GLAAD worked with The Insider on this first of its kind panel and commends the national entertainment news show for highlighting the diversity of our community.
“We’re so proud of you—thank you for representing!” said Stephanie in an inspiring message to Chaz on the segment.
“This is the biggest show on TV. It’s absolutely progress—absolutely,” said Laverne. “Chaz’s visibility has been amazing for all of us.”
“I felt like I was able to hold my head a little bit higher after seeing Chaz …This was very important to me,” agreed Noah.
The Dancing with the Stars episode was the second this season, with the premiere having been last week. Although Chaz’s score from the judges was low, he received enough votes from viewers to move to the next round. (Some fans are concerned about a leg injury he seems to have sustained.)
GLAAD is proud to have worked with TLDEF to bring together these advocates’ voices into living rooms across America, and we applaud The Insider for airing it. We continue to wish Chaz the best of luck on the show!
