Chastity Bono, daughter of Cher and the late Sonny Bono, is undergoing gender reassignment surgery, his publicist confirmed to ABCNews.com.
The daughter of TV celebrities Sonny and Cher is going to become a man.
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"Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," Howard Bragman said. "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.
"We ask that the media respect Chaz's privacy during this long process as he will not be doing any interviews at this time," Bragman added.
Bono, an LGBT civil rights advocate, journalist, author and musician, began the process of changing his gender earlier this year, following his 40th birthday. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has already voiced its support of him.
"Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people," GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano said in a statement to reporters. "Coming out as transgender is an extremely personal decision and one that is never made lightly."
Bono revealed to his parents that he was a lesbian at age 18 and wrote about the experience in his 1998 memoir, "Family Outing."
In 2002, Bono wrote "The End of Innocence," a second memoir about coming out, his music career, and his partner's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The child of singer Cher and the late Sonny Bono, Chaz Bono (born Chastity), will undergo a sex change operation, according to a spokesperson. 

"Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He hopes 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," said Howard Bragman, Bono's publicist.

Bono, a journalist, gay rights activist, singer, actor and author, was 18 when she came out to his parents as a lesbian, and was outed publicly two years later by a tabloid magazine. She wrote a memoir titled ''Family Outing'' that her mother Cher was not happy about. She says Cher banned her from their apartment for some time after coming out. Eventually Cher reconciled the issue within herself and the two repaired their relationship. Bono, 40, was most recently seen on television in 2006 on the reality show ''Celebrity Fit Club'' to lose weight and to give up smoking.

According to Bragman, Chaz began the transition from female to male in early 2009. 

LGBT groups were quick to support Bono's transition, with GLAAD announcing in a press release, "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people".