Chaz Bono DWTS Pick Sparks Dialogue on Transgenders

If ABC wanted to generate buzz with the announcement of the new Dancing With the Stars cast, then it looks the selection of Chaz Bono was a wise choice. Tim Molloy of the Wrap notes that the show's message board has been besieged with comments about the transgender Bono, many of the I'm-not-watching-this-season variety. But Bono also has his fair share of defenders on the board, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation welcomes the attention, notes the Daily News.

Along with the selection of former Queer Eye star Carson Kressley, ABC has "created primetime firsts that reflect the growing acceptance of gay and transgender people in America today," says a GLAAD statement. The 42-year-old Bono, who was born a female before changing his gender, showed up for his first rehearsal today, notes the Daily Mail. "His inclusion on the popular show makes him one of the most visible transgendered people, a position that he seems to be slowly coming around to," writes Zara Golden at Mediaite. Click for more on the show's full cast. (More Dancing with the Stars stories.)