My new favorite hero is Kristin Beck.
I learned of Kristin Beck’s story when I saw an interview that Anderson Cooper did with her on CNN. CNN Films produced a documentary about her titled: Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story. In the interview I found Kristin to be so dignified and at peace with herself and so accepting of her life path despite the fact that she had undoubtedly faced many struggles. I thought her quiet refusal to feel sorry for herself or to express bitterness toward others showed tremendous character. I liked her right away.
Kristin started her life as Christopher. She spent the first 40 years of her life as Christoper. As Christopher she was a Navy Seal and served in the military 20 years – deploying 13 times and earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. She did not share with anyone while she was in the military that she felt trapped in a man’s body. The military would not have allowed her to serve as transgender men and women are banned from service. So Christopher she was until 2011 when she finally came out as transgender.
Kristin’s story and her zen like authenticity are powerful. I am sure that her strength and commitment to being herself with make life easier for other transgender men and women. I hope that in the telling of her story some of the ignorance, disrespect, and fear that still exist in society toward transgendered individuals will start to melt away.
I already started following Kristin on Facebook. I admire her courage and candor in her transgender journey. She reminds us of how important it is to find a place where you can honor your true self. It is clear that Kristin has found that place.
Day one thousand five hundred and twenty-four of the new forty – obla di obla da
Ms. C
THE NEW FORTY 
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence, won’t you let me see you smile
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Putting it in Perspective; The Real Heroes of the Trans*Community
Op-Ed: By Jacqueline Clifford
I admire and respect Kristin Beck and I don’t necessarily see her as a media seeker. However, while Kristin has been advocating for the acceptance of Transgender Military Service there has been a constant barrage of media promotion of her documentary and a large number of interviews surrounding her story. However, Kristin’s story is an exception in the Trans*community. There are an estimated 1,298,000 transgender persons in the United States . An estimated 17,000 are in Military service. So, where are the other 1,281,000? And what about the 1,024,800 who are homeless? Jobless? Or both? Who advocates for them? Where is their equality?
Kristin was able to hide behind her mask well enough to qualify for and serve in the military. She wasn’t literally thrown out on the street by her family when she was twelve to fifteen-years old; thus stripping her of any economic status, educational opportunities, and any possibility of gainful employment. She has never been so desperate that she had to sell her body to survive, self-medicated to dull the pain, been incarcerated for her appearance, or even been touched by the “new Jim Crowe” laws. Like some of us – myself included – Kristin spent many years putting her life on the line for our country but, we had a choice. A choice that most Trans*women don’t have.
These women are marginalized even by the marginalized and they are the real stories and the truths about living as a transgender in our country. They are the women who are being assaulted, bullied, and murdered. They are the women who are fighting for survival each and every day of their lives. The ones who have no safe place to go, to relax and de-stress, no one to talk to or ask help from. They are the people media avoids and benefactors don’t see.
Society blames these women, believing they have only themselves to blame for their situation. They don’t look, or point fingers, at themselves or the parents who threw children out on the street. They look at the runaways and believe that they could have stayed at home and off the street but, not the reasons for running away or at the families that beat or tortured them until they had to leave or die. They are over looked, forgotten, and left to their own with no resources. Women’s shelters most often will not take them and men’s shelters put them at even greater risk of brutal attacks.
As I’ve said, I admire and respect Kristin Beck but, she is an exception and she is not my hero; nor do I see her as a hero of the Trans*community. Is she making a difference? Yes. But, my heroes and heroes of the Trans*community are those who make a difference for those of us who have been abandoned and stripped of any chance or opportunity. People who looked for a way to help those who are marginalized from the marginalized pull themselves up and begin to stand on their own. Individuals who mentor, life coach, peer-counsel Trans*persons, and tirelessly work to educate the public; like Adrien Lawyer, Zane Stephens who founded the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico (TGRCNM), made it real, and have kept it going with nearly no money so Trans*persons would have a safe place. Julie Grey, Talia Montoya, Emily Ramos, Laura Romero who help with education and housing. Elizabeth Eger and Rick Roo who help them find employment. Kate Walsham and JoHanna Cox who work with them on legal issues. These are the people who are always there and making a difference one life at a time. They, and people like them, are the real heroes of the trans*community.
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