His publicist told TMZ:

Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity ... He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago.

Let's hope that the media can handle Chaz' transparency with the dignity and respect it deserves. It could either be a great opportunity to educate the public about transgender issues, or a total disaster--probably will end up being something in between. Regardless, props to Chaz for his public courage.

According to Broadsheet, mainstream media outlets are handling it fairly well thus far, with the exception of (suprrise, surprise) the NY Daily News, which used the pronoun "she" when announcing the news.

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