Chaz began the process of gender reassignment in 2009, and in March started legal proceedings to officially change his name and gender. A judge in Santa Monica, California, granted the petition yesterday.

"Chaz couldn`t be happier," his spokesman Kristina Wertz, the legal director for the Transgender Law Center, said. "This is an important step in his transition and will allow him to change a variety of his identity documents to show who he truly is."

Chaz was born Chastity Bono - his parents are Cher and Sonny Bono - but has been known as Chaz since taking the decision to become a man.

Last year, the 41-year-old spoke out about his decision to undergo surgery. He admitted he had felt like a boy even as a child, although it took him a long time to come to terms with what that meant. He explained he found it difficult to express how important the sex change was to him as it had become such a vital part of his life.

"It`s hard for me to articulate how this feels - when you`ve lived your whole life in a body and having everybody relate to you as something you don`t feel," he said. "When that finally gets righted, it`s just amazing. I finally get to live my life the way I`ve always wanted to."
sections: Celebrities