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 |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1990–2011 |
| Rank | Senior chief petty officer |
| Unit |
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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 known in 2013 after sharing his personal journey of exploring his gender identity. At that time, he used the name Kristin Beck. In 2022, he announced he had decided to return to living as Chris. He explained this decision was partly due 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, showing great dedication to his country.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Chris Beck grew up on a farm. From a young age, he felt different and struggled with his identity. His parents encouraged him to take on traditional male roles. Before his public journey, he was married twice and has two sons from his first marriage. His military duties often kept him away from home, which made it hard to stay close to his family. Before joining the Navy, Beck studied at the Virginia Military Institute from 1984 to 1987.
Military Career
Chris Beck served for 20 years in the elite United States Navy SEALs. He went on 13 deployments, including seven combat missions. He completed the tough Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in 1991. After this, he joined SEAL Team One.
Later, Beck became a member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group. This special unit is also known as DEVGRU or "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 exploring his gender identity. In 2013, he started hormone therapy. He shared in an interview that he had never revealed his true feelings during his military career. He said, "No one ever met the real me." When he shared his story publicly in 2013, many of his former military friends sent him messages of support.
Warrior Princess Book
Chris Beck co-wrote his book, Warrior Princess, with Anne Speckhard. She is a psychologist who was studying how Navy SEALs cope with their demanding jobs. They met at a conference. The book shares Beck's personal struggles and his desire to find peace.
In the book, Beck wrote:
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.
The book was praised by OutServe Magazine as "one of the smartest and most important books of the year." The Atlantic Wire suggested the book could help create more acceptance in the armed forces. At the time, openly transgender people were not allowed to serve in the U.S. military. This rule changed in 2016 under the Obama administration.
Lady Valor Documentary
A documentary called Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story was shown on CNN on September 4, 2014. Before that, in June 2014, Beck received an award from retired Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn. This happened at the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Political Campaign
In August 2015, Chris Beck decided to run for Congress. He wanted to represent Maryland's 5th congressional district. In the primary election on April 26, 2016, Beck came in second. He ran against Representative Steny Hoyer.
Media Appearances
Chris Beck has 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 shared in a video interview that he had decided to return to living as Chris.
Returning to Chris
In December 2022, Chris Beck announced his decision to return to living as Chris. He shared that he had felt like he was "living in hell for the past 10 years." He also mentioned that he had stopped taking hormones about seven years before. Beck has since spoken in the media, encouraging young people under 25 to carefully consider their choices. In an interview, he talked about his Christian faith. He said his faith helped him make this decision.
Beck mentioned that he was offered hormones after a short meeting at a Veterans Affairs medical facility. He felt that he had "so much going wrong" when he started taking cross-sex hormones. He also suggested that the industry around gender care is very large. However, these recent statements are different from what was written in his book, Warrior Princess. The book stated that the VA wanted him to take many steps and live as a woman in all parts of his life before starting hormone treatments. It also said he had to wait a year before getting hormones.
Evan Urquhart, writing for Slate, noted that Beck's decision to return to living as Chris happened at the same time he embraced conservative Christian views.
Awards and Decorations
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- Beck has earned five golden service stripes.
See Also
- Transgender personnel in the United States military
