Kristin Beck

Last updated
Chris Beck
Born (1966-06-21) June 21, 1966 (age 56)
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg United States of America
Service/branchFlag of the United States Navy (official).svg  United States Navy
Years of service1990–2011
Rank SCPO GC.png Senior chief petty officer
Unit United States Navy Special Warfare insignia.png United States Navy SEALs
Awards Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device
Purple Heart BAR.svg Purple Heart
Defense Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2)
Other workAuthor

Chris Beck (born June 21, 1966) is a retired United States Navy SEAL who gained public attention in 2013 after coming out as a trans woman. During this time, he went by the name Kristin Beck. A memoir detailing his experience was published in June 2013, Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender. [1] Beck served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years and was the first openly transgender former U.S. Navy SEAL. In November 2022, Beck announced that he had detransitioned. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Beck was given the name Christopher T. Beck at birth in June 1966 and grew up on a farm. As early as the age of five, he was drawn to feminine clothes and toys, but was encouraged to adopt masculine roles by his parents. [3] Before transitioning, he married twice and has two sons from his first marriage. [4] [5] He recounts in his memoir how his gender dysphoria contributed to his inability to emotionally mature while being in a male body, adding conflict to his sexual identity, although he never really felt gay. [6] Additionally, his duties as a U.S. Navy SEAL kept him on missions away from home, which distanced him from family members. [6] Before enlisting in the United States Navy, Beck attended Virginia Military Institute from 1984 through 1987. [7]

Career

Beck in September 2011 Chris Beck, Navy Seal.jpg
Beck in September 2011

United States Navy

Beck served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEALs before his transition, taking part in 13 deployments, including seven combat deployments. Beck completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training with class 179 in 1991 and subsequently served with SEAL team one. Following SEAL Tactical Training (STT) and completion of six month probationary period, Beck received the Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer (SEAL), entitled to wear the Special Warfare Insignia. Beck eventually served as a member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU), a special counter-terrorism unit popularly called SEAL Team Six, and received multiple military awards and decorations, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. [8] He told Anderson Cooper he wanted to be a SEAL because they were the "toughest of the tough". [9]

Beck retired from the Navy in 2011 with final rating as Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator when he began transitioning by dressing as a woman. In 2013, he began hormone therapy, preparing himself for sex reassignment surgery. [10] During an interview with Anderson Cooper in early June 2013, he stated that he never came out during his military career and that "No one ever met the real me". [9] After coming out publicly in 2013 by posting a photo of himself as a woman on LinkedIn, he received a number of messages of support from his former military colleagues. [11]

Warrior Princess

Beck co-wrote Warrior Princess with Anne Speckhard, a psychologist at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Speckhard was doing a study on resilience of the U.S. Navy SEALs, that is, the coping mechanisms employed by SEALs to deal with their intense job demands. Speckhard first met Beck at a counter-terrorism conference. [1] After Beck agreed to discuss coping mechanisms, a follow-up meeting took place in a gay bar, with Beck now dressed in feminine attire, to Speckhard's surprise. A five-hour meeting led to Speckhard agreeing to help Beck write his life story. [3]

In the book, Speckhard notes that Beck had a desire to die honorably "so that he wouldn't have to wrestle anymore with the emotional pain that stemmed from the lack of congruency between his gender identity and body". [12] In his introduction to the book, Beck writes:

I do not believe a soul has a gender, but my new path is making my soul complete and happy... I hope my journey sheds some light on the human experience and most importantly helps heal the "socio-religious dogma" of a purely binary gender. [12]

OutServe Magazine praised the book, calling it "one of the smartest and most important books of the year". [13] The Huffington Post noted that while the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was repealed in 2011, the ban on openly transgender people serving in the U.S. armed forces still remained. [12] Days before the release of Warrior Princess, Metro Weekly's Poliglot column reported that the Pentagon had celebrated LGBT Pride Month in a memo while avoiding mention of transgender military personnel; the Pentagon memo read in part: "We recognize gay, lesbian and bisexual service members and LGBT civilians for their dedicated service to our country." [14] The Atlantic Wire said that the book could "lay the groundwork for even greater inclusion in the armed forces" and Salon stated that Beck's military credentials may "lead the Pentagon to revisit its policy against trans service members". [15] [16] While restrictions on sexual orientation were lifted in 2010–2011, restrictions on gender identity remained in place due to Department of Defense regulations until 2016, when the Obama administration ended the ban on transgender Americans serving in the military. [17]

Lady Valor

Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story, a documentary, aired on CNN on September 4, 2014. [18] [19] Earlier during LGBT Pride Month on June 18, 2014 at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Beck received a plaque from retired Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn when he led the DIA as its Director. [20] [21]

Congressional campaign

In August 2015, CNN said that Beck was running for Congress to represent Maryland's 5th Congressional District. [22] Beck finished second behind Representative Steny Hoyer in the Democratic primary election on April 26, 2016. [23]

Media appearances

Beck appeared on the Dr. Phil Show in 2015. [24] He has also been interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN. [9]

On June 1, 2022, he appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. [25] On December 1, 2022, Beck stated in a video interview with Robby Starbuck that he had detransitioned. [2] [26]

Awards and decorations

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Beck, Kristin; Speckhard, Anne (2013). Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender. Advances Press. ISBN   9781935866428. Archived from the original on 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  2. 1 2 Starbuck, Robby (December 1, 2022). "The Real Story with Chris Beck - Trans Navy SEAL Detransitions, Warns Young People & Exposes The VA!". The Robby Starbuck Show (Podcast). Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Grove, Lloyd (6 Jun 2013). "Kristin Beck, the SEALs' Warrior Princess Who Came Out as Transgender". The Daily Beast . Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Doug Stanglin (5 June 2013). "A Navy SEAL's biggest secret: Life as a transgender". USA Today. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Thompson, Jakki (16 July 2013). "Transgender Navy SEAL speaks out in moving memoir". Kansas State, The Collegian. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  6. 1 2 KRISTIN BECK & ANNE SPECKHARD (8 June 2013). "I'm the transgender Navy SEAL: I'm Kristin Beck now. As Chris, I risked my life on countless SEAL missions -- all while trying to hide who I am". Excerpted from "Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming Out Transgender". Salon.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "Knights Out Announces Kristin Beck as Gala Dinner Speaker". Knights Out. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  8. ↑ Doug Standlin (4 June 2013). "A Navy SEAL's biggest secret: Life as a transgender". USA Today. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 Anderson Cooper (June 6, 2013). "Anderson Cooper's exclusive interview with transgender former Navy SEAL Kristen Beck pt. I". CNN. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  10. ↑ Ferran, Lee (3 June 2013). "Transgender Navy SEAL 'Warrior Princess' Comes Out". ABC News . Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Vittorio Hernandez (June 6, 2013). "Former Navy SEAL Member Shares Sex Change Journey in Warrior Princess Memoir". International Business Times. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 Cavan Sieczkowski (June 4, 2013). "Kristin Beck, Transgender Navy SEAL, Comes Out In New Book". The Huffington Post . Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  13. ↑ Katie Miller (June 4, 2013). "OutServe Magazine Praises Memoir of Transgender Navy SEAL". OutServe Magazine . Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  14. ↑ Justin Snow (June 3, 2013). "Pentagon marks LGBT Pride Month while omitting trans servicemembers". Metro Weekly. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  15. ↑ J.K. Trotter (Jun 3, 2013). "The Latest Navy SEAL Book Could Impact the Military's Transgender Rules". The Atlantic Wire. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  16. ↑ Katie Mcdonough (June 3, 2013). "SEAL Team 6 veteran comes out as transgender". Salon. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  17. ↑ "DoD Transgender Policy Changes". Self. 2016-06-30. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  18. ↑ JustCuriosity (29 November 2014). "Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  19. ↑ "Transgender SEAL is subject of CNN documentary". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  20. ↑ Cleary, Tom (2017-07-26). "Kristin Beck: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  21. ↑ Bushatz, Amy (2017-10-31). "Transgender Navy SEAL Applies for Job in Trump Administration". Military.com. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  22. ↑ S.E. Cupp; Video Jeremy Moorhead; CNN (11 August 2015). "Transgender Navy SEAL running for Congress". CNN.
  23. ↑ "Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Representative in Congress". 31 May 2016.
  24. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Former Navy Seal Explains Growing Up Transgender -- Dr. Phil". YouTube .
  25. ↑ "Joe Rogan Experience #1827 – Kristin Beck, June 1, 2022. Retrieved Dec. 7, 2022
  26. ↑ "Famoso "trans" dice que ya no lo es y pide no dar hormonas a niños". 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
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