The popular USA Dancing Competition TV Show, Dancing With the Stars has announced its new season cast and the list is indeed impressive, with transgender activist Chaz Bono and reality show superstar Carson Kressley headlining the seasons lineup.
This selection will make Bono the highest profile transgender person to ever compete on an American reality TV series, and one of the first ever in prime time.
“At a time when transgender representation in the media is sorely lacking, Chaz Bono joining the cast of a series like Dancing With the Stars is a tremendous step forward for the public to recognize that transgender people are an important part of the fabric of American culture,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs at GLAAD. “His documentary, Becoming Chaz, was a great chance for viewers to meet the man behind the headlines. Appearing on such a high profile show will allow millions of Americans to get to know him in a whole new light.”
When Dancing with the Stars premiers Monday Sept. 19 on ABC, Bono will be joined by Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Carson Cressley, whose current TV series, Carson-Nation, on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), has him traveling to small towns throughout the U.S., transforming lives one person at a time. The men will be joined by Nancy Grace, NBA star Ron Artest, one of our favourite TV stars, Ricki Lake, soccer player Hope Solo, Chynna Phillips, David Arquette, Rob Kardashian, Kristin Cavallari, Elisabetta Canalis, and J.R. Martinez.
