Kristin Beck

Former Navy Seal and transgender woman Kristin Beck is running for Congress! She is running for the Southern Maryland 5th Congressional seat against a long time incumbent. 


Follow the link to her site for more!!! (And donate if you can!!!)

I view Kristin as sort of the "ultimate" transgender veteran and wish her the best!!!

Thanks Andee

After I finally got this link to download on my ancient computer (passed along by Andee) - she said I may be surprised and I was after I read it.

I have to tell you my first surprise was the official letterhead/banner of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Please! No cheap shots about a contradiction in terms!) The second was the title:

Remarks as prepared for delivery
by The Honorable James R. Clapper Director of National Intelligence
Intelligence Community (IC) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Allies (LGBTA) Summit  

The link I was reading, to my knowledge, was a very enlightening speech by James Clapper highlighting the struggle for acceptance of the LGBT community within the intelligence establishment. Here is a very brief excerpt:


"I understand you’ll be hearing from Kristin Beck, the transgender retired Navy SEAL. I saw Kristin’s Twitter page, and was especially taken by the tweet from a fan who heard her speak a few days ago at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin. It read: “I'm so floored by the Navy SEALs in the … audience with me, supporting Kristin Beck ...”(left)
It’s a real coup to have her speak to you at this summit. With her courage, integrity, and energy, she’s breaking down attitude barriers like she used to break down doors as a SEAL. I understand she’ll be at West Point at the end of the month. I’m sure she’ll win over hearts and minds up there as well.

In this regard, I’d like to recognize an effort that was born out of the first summit, and that’s the Transgender Working Group. I understand that over the past year, with members from across the IC, they’ve been behind the idea of educating colleagues and managers of the transgender workforce, and more specifically, transitioning employees on how to interact with those employees before, during, and after gender transition.

I’m told that the group has produced a resource tool to help users understand transgender issues for use in our community. I just wanted to commend you for this effort. That type of grassroots, cross-IC effort embodies what intelligence integration is all about. I believe we should approach all of our community challenges as an integrated community, learning from each other, and applying our best resources from around the IC. That’s the real spirit behind today’s gathering. And I have great expectations for what you will all do with the energy that’s been generated here this morning, and that I’m sure will continue to be generated, long after the summit is over."

As I said, my excerpt is a very small part of an enlightening presentation.  Go here for more and be patient - it's a government website and loaded slowly for me. 

Thanks again Andee!!!

"Power Play"

It's no big secret or revelation the genders operate on a vastly different playing level when power is involved. Men migrate to teams and alpha males, women towards cliques and a passive aggressive life. Each are very effective in their own ways but often cause serious problems between the binary genders. As far as we transgender folks go of course, we have a whole different set of "power settings".

Most of us are very familiar with the male power structure and "put up the good fight".  We went the "macho" route as we struggled to find our gender identity.  The best example is former Navy Seal transsexual woman  Kristen Beck (right) who really pursued a macho profession. (A reason so many service members are transgender)  I played the game well too.  I was a defensive end in football, served my time in the Army and generally was regarded as a macho guy. The problem was though I enjoyed interaction with women more than men and felt more natural. As with other things in my life, it took me years and a ton of thought to have ideas why.

Amazingly to me, I came up with a whole new consideration of my gender social preferences after I wrote the "Problem" post here in Cyrsti's Condo.

 If you identify as a cross dresser, transgender or transsexual, chances are you have always been more comfortable with women rather than men also.  I know there are many reasons we do but I began to wonder if gender power issues played a role?  We must feel more comfortable away from the macho lifestyle. I'm was naive though and found the feminine power set up was not the "peaches and cream" style most men think it is and acceptance wasn't an automatic just because I tossed on a wig and dress.

When I actually started to transition, women put me in a special category of sorts which fit my transgender status.  I was neither a genetic woman or a genetic man.  As such it took awhile to be included to the fullest but when I was, I learned quickly the women's passive aggressive power structure to it's fullest. But I can't tell you I have learned to react as a woman.  Relearning a basic male power system has not been an easy process and before all of this, I believed I liked the girls sandbox because they only talked about neat things such as clothes, makeup and family. Plus they were so nice! Ha!

The important part is I'm flourishing in the feminine system and I love the process. I find the passive aggressive nature is an art form. But more and more, if I have to play, somehow I know I was born to do it. Just don't look for me to do it directly- or to your face.  You are just going to have to figure it out on your own- later.

Fortunately, no one was mean to me at the party and I didn't have to play any power games. I just did my nails before I went and was ready!

Less of a Soldier?

I just caught up with this breaking story about Kristen Beck which is supposedly about to blow the doors off the military's policy towards transgender veterans.
This comes from a fairly different source- but here it is from the Business Insider Australia:

"A retired Navy SEAL is poised to blow the doors off of the military’s policy toward the transgender.  Kristen Beck was a member of the most elite special operations unit in the world — SEAL Team 6. She deployed 13 times. She earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. She served in the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden. Shortly before the bin Laden raid, in early 2011, she retired as a senior chief petty officer after serving 20 years. Her name was Chris Beck back then. In a memoir that promises to change the way we think about transgender women and men,  and their service in the military, Beck writes about how she came to the realization that she was meant to live life as a woman."

This may be too good to be true...but I'm passing it along anyway. After all this is Cyrsti's Condo not the New York Times.

For more, go here.here