Chris Beck (Navy SEAL) explained

Chris Beck
Birth Date:June 21, 1966
Birth Name:Christopher Todd Beck[1]
Birth Place:Long Island, New York, U.S.
Serviceyears:1990–2011
Rank: Senior chief petty officer
Unit: United States Navy SEALs
  • SEAL Team 1
  • DEVGRU ("SEAL Team Six")
Awards: Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device
Purple Heart
Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2)
Laterwork:Author

Christopher Todd 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, and in 2022, when he announced his detransition. During the time of his transition, 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.[2] He served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years. In December 2022, Beck announced that he had detransitioned because "it ruined my life" and due to his conversion to Christianity.[3] [4]

Early life and education

Beck 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. Before transitioning, he married twice and has two sons from his first marriage.[5] [6] 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.[7] Additionally, his duties as a U.S. Navy SEAL kept him on missions away from home, which distanced him from family members.[7] Before enlisting in the United States Navy, Beck attended Virginia Military Institute from 1984 through 1987.[8]

Career

United States Navy

Beck served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEALs,[9] 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.[10] He told Anderson Cooper he wanted to be a SEAL because they were the "toughest of the tough".[11]

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.[12] 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".[11] 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.[13]

Warrior Princess

Beck said that his private therapy sessions were exploited by this therapist.[14] Beck co-wrote Warrior Princess with Anne Speckhard,[15] 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.[2] 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.[16]

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". 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.[17]

OutServe Magazine praised the book, calling it "one of the smartest and most important books of the year".[18] 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.[17] 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."[19] 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".[20] [21] 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.[22]

Lady Valor

Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story, a documentary, aired on CNN on September 4, 2014.[23] [24] 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.[25] [26]

Congressional campaign

In August 2015, CNN said that Beck was running for Congress to represent Maryland's 5th congressional district.[27] Beck finished second behind Representative Steny Hoyer in the Democratic primary election on April 26, 2016.[28]

Media appearances

Beck appeared on the Dr. Phil Show in 2015.[29] He has also been interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN.

On June 1, 2022, he appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.[30] On December 1, 2022, Beck stated in a video interview with Robby Starbuck that he had detransitioned.[31]

Detransition

In December 2022, Beck announced his detransition and said he had "lived in hell for the past 10 years" and that it had been roughly seven years since he last took hormones.[32] [33] Beck has since appeared in the media urging those under 25 not to transition. In an interview he gave with conservative influencer Robby Starbuck, Beck contrasted the beliefs of the LGBTQ community with his own belief in Jesus and God and discussed his desire to convert people away from being transgender by witnessing his own Christian conversion.[32] [34] [35] [36]

Beck said he was offered hormones after an hour-long meeting at a Veterans Affairs medical facility. He said that he had "so much going wrong" in his system when he started taking cross-sex hormones. He also claimed that it is "a billion dollar industry between psychologists, between surgeries, between hormones, between chemicals, between follow-up treatments" and that there are "thousands of gender clinics popping up all over" America and each one is "going to be pulling in probably over $50 million".[37]

However, Beck's recent accounts to conservative media outlets, claiming the Veteran Affairs medical facility "offered hormones after an hour-long meeting," directly contradict the earlier accounts provided in the book, Warrior Princess, which Beck coauthored with Dr. Anne Speckhard. The book was published in 2013, and according to its account, "Chris had asked for hormones at the VA (Veterans Administration) and he'd taken many steps now to begin his transition into womanhood: laser removal of the hair on his face, arms and chest, collagen treatments for his cheekbones [...] But it was frustrating and slow moving to make the transition into a female body.  The VA wanted to go slow as they worked toward a solution for hormone treatment because while Chris had been living privately as a woman for nearly two years, he had not transitioned at work.  They wanted to be cautious in supporting his change, demanding that he "come out" as female in every aspect of his life before they began hormone treatments or offered surgical solutions." (136) [38] And later on, Chris is quoted saying, "I have to have hormones soon! I can get them on the black market, but they are dangerous and I want to do it under a doctor's care.  But at the VA they want me to wait a year!  They said I have to have been going to work as a woman, as well as dressing at home, for a whole year! They don't understand what a big deal it is for me-- as a Navy Seal-- to come out at work.  I finally did it today" (165-166). According to Warrior Princess, it's only after Chris comes out at work, starts living full time, and also updates the gender marker on Chris's ID, that "In a few weeks time, Kris met her doctor at the VA and was started on hormones" (203).[39]  

Evan Urquhart, writing for Slate, described Beck as having detransitioned due to his newfound moral and ideological beliefs. Urquhart criticized Reuters for profiling Beck's detransition without mentioning that according to Beck's interview with Starbuck, his detransition coincided with embracing conservative Christian views, including that by transitioning he "destroyed everything in my life that was holy, [and that] the temple of God is our bodies".[34]

Awards and decorations

BadgeSEAL Insignia
1st rowBronze Star
Purple HeartDefense Meritorious Service Medal
2nd rowJoint Service Commendation MedalNavy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
3rd rowArmy Achievement MedalAir Force Achievement MedalNavy and Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon
4th rowNavy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Navy Unit Commendation
5th rowNavy Meritorious Unit CommendationUSSOCOM MedalNavy Good Conduct Medal
6th rowNational Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
7th rowAfghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
8th rowGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalArmed Forces Service MedalNavy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
9th rowNATO Medal YugoslaviaNavy Rifle Marksmanship Medal
Navy Pistol Marksmanship Medal
BadgeNaval Parachutist Badge
BadgesMaster Parachutist BadgeMilitary Freefall Jumpmaster Parachutist BadgeRanger tab
BadgeUnited States Special Operations Command Badge

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: CNN.com – Transcripts . 11 December 2022 . www.cnn.com.
  2. Book: Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender. Beck. Kristin. Speckhard. Anne. 2013. Advances Press. 9781935866428. 2013-06-10. 2018-03-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20180312000711/http://www.advancespress.com/warrior-princess.html. dead.
  3. The Real Story with Chris Beck – Trans Navy SEAL Detransitions, Warns Young People & Exposes The VA! . The Robby Starbuck Show . Starbuck . Robby . December 1, 2022 . December 1, 2022.
  4. Web site: 2022-12-06 . Former Navy SEAL Trans Poster Boy Announces DeTransition: 'Transgender Ideology Is Cultish' . 2022-12-09 . CBN News . en.
  5. News: A Navy SEAL's biggest secret: Life as a transgender. Doug Stanglin. 5 June 2013. 8 June 2013. USA Today.
  6. Web site: Transgender Navy SEAL speaks out in moving memoir . Kansas State, The Collegian . 16 July 2013 . 14 September 2013 . Thompson, Jakki.
  7. Web site: 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 . Salon.com . Excerpted from "Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming Out Transgender" . 8 June 2013 . 14 September 2013 . Kristin Beck . Anne Speckhard . amp.
  8. Web site: Knights Out Announces Kristin Beck as Gala Dinner Speaker. Knights Out. 29 November 2014. 1 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035010/http://www.knightsout.org/kristin_beck_speaker. dead.
  9. News: 2013-07-31 . The US Navy Seal who went from Chris to Kristin . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-01-10.
  10. News: A Navy SEAL's biggest secret: Life as a transgender. Doug Standlin. June 5, 2013. USA Today. 4 June 2013.
  11. News: Anderson Cooper's exclusive interview with transgender former Navy SEAL Kristen Beck pt. I. Anderson Cooper. June 6, 2013. June 12, 2013. CNN.
  12. News: Transgender Navy SEAL 'Warrior Princess' Comes Out. Ferran. Lee. 3 June 2013. ABC News. 8 June 2013.
  13. News: Former Navy SEAL Member Shares Sex Change Journey in Warrior Princess Memoir. Vittorio Hernandez. June 6, 2013. June 13, 2013. International Business Times. June 14, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130614071659/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/475374/20130606/former-navy-seal-member-shares-sex-change.htm#.UboOddVkjjI. dead.
  14. Chris Beck and Shawn Ryan. . Chris / Kristin Beck - Transgender Navy SEAL Transitions To Woman Then Back To Man SRS #50 . March 6, 2023 . August 11, 2023 .
  15. Web site: Warrior Princess – Anne Speckhard . 2023-01-10 . en-US.
  16. News: Kristin Beck, the SEALs' Warrior Princess Who Came Out as Transgender . Grove. Lloyd. 6 Jun 2013. The Daily Beast. 8 June 2013.
  17. News: Kristin Beck, Transgender Navy SEAL, Comes Out In New Book . Cavan Sieczkowski . June 4, 2013 . June 11, 2013 . The Huffington Post.
  18. News: OutServe Magazine Praises Memoir of Transgender Navy SEAL. OutServe Magazine. June 4, 2013. June 11, 2013. Katie Miller. https://web.archive.org/web/20130613144608/http://outservemag.com/2013/06/outserve-magazine-praises-memoir-of-transgender-navy-seal/. June 13, 2013. dead.
  19. News: Pentagon marks LGBT Pride Month while omitting trans servicemembers. Justin Snow. June 3, 2013. June 13, 2013. Metro Weekly. https://web.archive.org/web/20131018195942/http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2013/06/pentagon-marks-lgbt-pride-month-but-omits-transgen.html. October 18, 2013. dead.
  20. News: The Latest Navy SEAL Book Could Impact the Military's Transgender Rules. J.K. Trotter. Jun 3, 2013. June 13, 2013. The Atlantic Wire. June 14, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130614043300/http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/06/transgender-navy-seal-memoir/65823/. dead.
  21. News: SEAL Team 6 veteran comes out as transgender . Katie Mcdonough . June 3, 2013. June 13, 2013. Salon.
  22. Web site: DoD Transgender Policy Changes. 2016-06-30. Self. July 1, 2016.
  23. Web site: Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story (2014). JustCuriosity. 29 November 2014. IMDb. 29 November 2014.
  24. Web site: Transgender SEAL is subject of CNN documentary. The Virginian-Pilot. 29 November 2014. 5 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205121013/http://hamptonroads.com/2014/09/transgender-seal-subject-cnn-documentary. dead.
  25. Web site: Cleary . Tom . 2017-07-26 . Kristin Beck: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know . 2022-12-05 . Heavy.com . en-US.
  26. Web site: Bushatz . Amy . 2017-10-31 . Transgender Navy SEAL Applies for Job in Trump Administration . 2022-12-05 . Military.com . en.
  27. Web site: Transgender Navy SEAL running for Congress. S.E. Cupp. Jeremy Moorhead. 11 August 2015. CNN.
  28. Web site: Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Representative in Congress. 31 May 2016.
  29. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: Former Navy Seal Explains Growing Up Transgender – Dr. Phil . YouTube.
  30. "Joe Rogan Experience #1827 – Kristin Beck, June 1, 2022. Retrieved Dec. 7, 2022
  31. Web site: 2022-12-05 . Famoso "trans" dice que ya no lo es y pide no dar hormonas a niños . 2022-12-06.
  32. News: MacKinnon . Kinnon . Valdes . Leo . 2023-01-18 . Take Detransitioners Seriously . en . The Atlantic . 2023-02-01.
  33. News: Ghosh . R. . 2022-12-12 . Who Is Chris Beck? Retired Navy SEAL Who Came Out as Transgender is Transitioning Back after Calling Sex Change 'Worst Mistake of My Life' . en . International Business Times . 2023-02-01.
  34. News: Urquhart . Evan . 2023-01-21 . Trans "Detransition" Is Real. But It's Not the Crisis Many Seem to Think. . en . Slate (magazine) . 2023-02-01.
  35. News: Urquhart . Evan . January 18, 2023 . The Atlantic Provides a Misleading Picture of Detransition . en-US . Assigned Media . 2023-02-01.
  36. News: December 13, 2022 . Ex-Navy SEAL who came out as trans says he's again identifying as male . en . Olean Times Herald . 2023-02-01.
  37. Web site: Colton . Emma . 2022-12-11 . Retired Navy SEAL Chris Beck, who came out as trans, announces detransition: 'destroyed my life' . . 2023-02-11 . en-US.
  38. Book: Beck, Kristin . Warrior princess: a U.S. Navy Seal's journey to coming out transgender . 2013 . Advances Press . 978-1-935866-42-8 . McLean, VA.
  39. Book: Beck, Kristin . Warrior princess: a U.S. Navy Seal's journey to coming out transgender . 2013 . Advances Press . 978-1-935866-42-8 . McLean, VA.