“I don’t understand why he’s still alive, the shit he’s been through . . . unbelievable!” Gardner Beck – Kristin’s older brother.
March 16th, 2015 A cursory search on the official U.S. Navy SEAL Special Warfare website boldly trumpets their ethos thusly, “In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation’s call. A common man with an uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America’s finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life. I am that man.” Also steeped in tradition, honor and courage under fire are the highly decorated retired women who hail from all five branches of the armed forces that congregated in Atlanta, Georgia for the 25th Annual Southern Comfort Conference. These women too were also forged by adversity and for good reason. Oh, did I mention that the Southern Comfort Conference is the world`s largest gathering of the transgender community and that all these accomplished women were once men who service honourably in protecting America. Let that reality settle in for a moment.
Distinguished among them is Kristin Beck who, as Christopher Beck served with high distinction on the U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 Counter-terrorism Unit for 20 years. From Operation Desert Shield to Desert Storm with tours in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Beck was the quintessential alpha among her peers. Thirteen deployments and an array of honours including a Purple Heart and Bronze Star only reinforced the outward manifestation of the gruff hirsute bro culture often glamourized in Hollywood movies like Act of Valor, Zero Dark Thirty and Lone Survivor. The reality was, Beck was fighting two wars and the split screen image of Christopher in full Navy SEAL regalia hemmed up against the disarming beauty of the now Kristin advocating for transgender rights flooded media outlets around the world. When the story broke it was CNN’s poster boy Anderson Cooper who profiling her journey. As Kristen tells it, “it’s another mission because there is a lot of freedom I’m defending by doing this. And in some ways this is way more mentally and physically rigorous than many things I’ve done in my past.” In some respects Kristin is defending the most important freedom of all . . . her own.” “Lady Valor The Kristin Beck Story“ is the story about coming out and coming to terms with one’s true self and the daunting journey to breakdown prejudices by winning the hearts and minds along the way. Using personal narratives to influence policy changes became Kristin’s life purpose as she spoke truth to power.
For some people it must be wonderful to wake up each morning and know exactly which door you`re going to walk through. Kristin is only now finding this liberation. Retired since 2011, we catch up with her and her rescue dog Bo travelling the highways and byways of America in her RV speaking at national conferences and advocating for the rights of the transgender community and issues surrounding transphobia. Directors Sandrine Orabona and Mark Herzog captures to duality of a new life as Kristen revels in the red carpet buzz and media glare of the Navy SEAL turned transgender It-Girl all the while interjecting sobering sequences of recent hate crimes directed towards the trans-community. Modern advocacy mandates a social media presence and random screen shots on Kristen’s message updates bark vile diatribes of hate, harm and rampant ignorance. Winning the online war is just one more battlefield on the transgender landscape. We glean the greatest insight as Kristin takes stock of a decorated career that once was and the emotional sojourn of a lifelong reawakening still to come. Family stories, family stills and family absences back fill a narrative peppered with the highs and lows surrounding the introduction of a transgender daughter as the new reality.
“Kristin is more comfortable with herself than she was as himself.“- Travis Lively
Kristin leans in and mines her transgender roots by taking us back to the age of three where the compulsion to dress up in girl’s clothing began. As idyllic as the Beck’s Wellsville, New York home and community life may appear with the slow but loving acceptance by her father Tord Beck (who still struggles with pronouns when discussing Kristin) and sibs Liz and Gardner (as they bond on the shooting range), the full reality is much less forthcoming. In the eyes of Kristin`s mother and two older sisters, the stain of having an outlier in the family was more than they could bear. Participation in this documentary was not an option. Also hiding in plain sight and framed with flashback efficiency using stills, home movies and cryptic phone calls on the road is the nine year marriage Kristin left behind. A beautiful wife and two loving boys who are three dimensional to Kristin but remain only one dimensional to us. We never truly understand dynamic surrounding this breakdown which personally leaves me wanting. The sting of regret is palpable through tears and Kristin’s realization that this is one journey her family didn’t sign up for.
The Kristin Beck Story is a study in contrasts which team Orabona / Herzog build through revelation. The secret naval rock and roll infused lifestyle of the Navy SEALs mashes up against the blush femininity and velvet hammer of trans-advocacy. And somewhere in the middle lies the connective tissues of lifelong friendships with people like Travis and Jyl Lively, Dale Nichols, Paul Bishop who understand and respect both. The push pull of family expectations coupled with the burden of self-fulfillment and living the American dream yields both physical and emotional scars. And then there’s Kristin`s yearning for gender equality in all its forms while latent prejudices in the gay community toward the trans community still exists.
Although Lady Valor doesn`t address it, Hollywood has been exploring fully formed transgender narratives on both the large and small screens for decades. From the early days of Dressed To Kill, Victor Victoria, The Crying Game and Boys Don`t Cry to recent critically acclaimed Emmy and Golden Globe winning series like Orange is the New Black, Glee and Transparent, society is starting to embrace what they once feared. That being said, there still needs to be a fundamental change in our culture, our country our world and for all the hearts and minds she has changed, Kristin still has a long way to go.
VERDICT: 4.0 / 5 When unconventional activism strikes at the heart of a secret insular organization like the U.S Navy SEALs, the American ideal of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness takes a back seat to fireworks. And just like her 13 previous deployments, this last and most important deployment on U.S. soil educating and advocating will require all the combat readiness Kristin can muster. Healing from within is only part of her new journey. No one ever said the process of transitioning wasn`t rife with conflict, controversy and the scars of expectation and Directors Sandrine Orabona and Mark Herzog reveals them all. This documentary is never hobbled by a litany of talking heads prattling on about the minutia of transgenderism and identity, instead Lady Valor stays in the moment by exposes what is lost and gain when we fight to be true to ourselves. Raw and real with a quiet introspective tones that cuts across and through all facets of the narrative, Kristin`s story rings true on so many levels. And just like her former self Kristin Beck will fighting the good fight and never wash out.
Different can be normal too.
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Language: English
Director(s): Sandrine Orabona, Mark Herzog
Producer(s): Mark Herzog, Christopher G. Cowen
Associate Producer: Gabriela Gutentag
Executive Producer: Anne Speckhard, Vinnie Malhotra, Amy Entelis, Lisa Davidson, Travis Lively, Christopher Luke
Music: Honor Roll Music
Cinematographer: Jen White
Editor: Ryan Rothmaier
Distributor: CNN Films
Runtime: 90 Minutes
Website: http://www.ladyvalorfilm.com/
Cast: Mike Raptis, Alex Casher, Dale Nichols, Boone, Travis Lively, Jyl Lively, Wes Inskeep, Brandon Webb, Stuart Bornhoft, Tord Beck, Liz Beck, Gardner Beck, Judith Cornelius
