Cher, Schwimmer defend Chaz on 'Dancing'

Music icon Cher and "Dancing With the Stars" pro Lacey Schwimmer are defending Cher's transgendered son Chaz Bono from those objecting to his appearance on ABC's dance competition.

Cher also came down on comedian Chelsea Handler for making what the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) called transphobic jokes at Bono's expense. "I would have expected more from her," Cher tweeted yesterday afternoonabout the host of E!'s "Chelsea Lately."

At ABC's "Dancing" website Thursday, any derogatory threads regarding Bono, 42, the show's first transgender contestant, were not in evidence. Forums devoted to reality shows seemed uniformly in favor of Bono. But some sites devoted to conservative politics appeared caustic. A posting on Andrew Breitbart's BigHollywood.com called Bono "aberrant" and living a "seedy, shadowy, stained" existence. Another there said, "I resent the news referring to 'Chaz' as a male. IT was culled from the herd" by undergoing transgender surgery.

In response, an angry Cher, 65, took to Twitter to say, "Chaz is Being Viciously Attacked on Blogs & Message boards about being on DWTS! This is Still America right? It took guts 2 do it. I support him no matter what he chooses 2do! God! will there always be haters! . . . Mothers don't stop Getting angry with stupid bigots . . . "

Bono's dance partner, Schwimmer, 23, told the tabloid-TV show "The Insider" she finds the opposition to Bono "disappointing. . . . We're all taught to not bully or harass, and [to] treat everyone as equals, yet all these people are doing exactly the opposite."

Bono spokesman Howard Bragman told Newsday, "Chaz is grateful for all the support and the issue has only spurred him to work that much harder."