Chris Beck (Navy SEAL) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Beck
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Beck in September 2011
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| Birth name | Christopher Todd Beck |
| Born | June 21, 1966 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1990–2011 |
| Rank |  Senior chief petty officer |
| Unit |  United States Navy SEALs
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| Awards |  Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device Purple Heart Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2) |
| Other work | Author |
Christopher Todd Beck (born June 21, 1966) is a retired United States Navy SEAL. He became well-known in 2013 when he shared his personal journey of living as a woman, using the name Kristin Beck. In 2022, he announced he was returning to living as a man. He explained his decision was linked to his Christian faith.
A book about his experiences, Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender, was published in June 2013. Chris Beck served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Chris Beck grew up on a farm. From a young age, he felt drawn to things often seen as feminine. However, his parents encouraged him to take on masculine roles. Before joining the Navy, he studied at the Virginia Military Institute from 1984 to 1987. His duties as a U.S. Navy SEAL often kept him away from home.
Military Career
Chris Beck served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEALs. He took part in 13 deployments, including seven combat missions. He completed special training called Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) in 1991. After this, he served with SEAL Team One.
Beck later became a member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU). This is a special counter-terrorism unit, often called SEAL Team Six. He earned many military awards, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He once said he wanted to be a SEAL because they were the "toughest of the tough."
Beck retired from the Navy in 2011 as a Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator. After retiring, he began to live as a woman. In 2013, he started hormone therapy. He told Anderson Cooper in an interview that he never openly shared his personal journey during his military career. He said, "No one ever met the real me."
After sharing his story publicly in 2013, he received many messages of support. These messages came from his former military colleagues.
Warrior Princess Book
Chris Beck co-wrote Warrior Princess with Anne Speckhard. She is a psychologist at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Speckhard was studying how U.S. Navy SEALs cope with their demanding jobs. She met Beck at a conference.
In the book, Speckhard wrote that Beck wanted to die honorably. This was so he would not have to deal with the emotional pain he felt. Beck wrote in the book's introduction:
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.
OutServe Magazine praised the book. They called it "one of the smartest and most important books of the year." The Atlantic Wire said the book could help lead to more inclusion in the armed forces. Salon suggested that Beck's military background might make the Pentagon rethink its rules. Rules about gender identity in the military were changed in 2016. This allowed transgender Americans to serve openly.
Lady Valor Documentary
A documentary called Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story was shown on CNN on September 4, 2014. Before this, on June 18, 2014, Beck received an award. Retired Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn presented it to him at the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Running for Congress
In August 2015, CNN reported that Beck was running for Congress. He wanted to represent Maryland's 5th congressional district. In the Democratic primary election on April 26, 2016, Beck finished second. He ran against Representative Steny Hoyer.
Media Appearances
Chris Beck appeared on the Dr. Phil Show in 2015. He has also been interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN.
On June 1, 2022, he was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. On December 1, 2022, Beck stated in a video interview that he had returned to living as a man.
Returning to Living as a Man
In December 2022, Chris Beck announced he was returning to living as a man. He said he had "lived in hell for the past 10 years." He also mentioned it had been about seven years since he last took hormones. Beck has since spoken in the media, advising young people under 25 not to transition.
In an interview, Beck compared the beliefs of the LGBTQ community with his own Christian faith. He talked about wanting to share his Christian conversion with others.
Beck said he was offered hormones after a short meeting at a Veterans Affairs medical facility. He claimed that this process is a "billion dollar industry." He also stated that "thousands of gender clinics" are appearing across America.
However, Beck's recent statements about the Veterans Affairs medical facility differ from what was written in his book, Warrior Princess. The book, published in 2013, stated that the VA wanted to be cautious. They wanted him to live as a woman in all parts of his life before starting hormone treatments. According to the book, it was only after he started living full-time as a woman and updated his ID that he began hormones.
Evan Urquhart, writing for Slate, noted that Beck's decision to return to living as a man was linked to his new Christian beliefs.
Awards and Decorations
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- Beck has earned five golden service stripes.
See Also
- Transgender personnel in the United States military
