Books & more: Warrior Princess

This is one and the same person. And that is the whole story of the book we are presenting today. On the left in the picture is Chris Beck: A highly decorated Navy SEAL, with 13 deployments in 20 years of service – frontline missions –, awarded with Purple Heart and Bronze Star, former member of DEVGRU. On the right in the picture is Kristin Beck, a woman over 40 years old. Or more precisely: a transgender. Kristin is currently undergoing gender reassignment. Chris has become Kristin.

But as she tells the story today, that feeling was always there: in your male body you are a woman. The body probably overcompensated to conceal the emotional conflict and led Beck to pursue one of the most masculine professions on this planet: professional soldier, a member of the Navy SEALs. The conflict remained and grew. Volunteering for every mission that arose, at home, when no one was around, wearing women's clothing. In addition to PTSD, the military psychologist diagnosed a "Gender Disorder Problem." This is resolved after the coming out and the personal decision to live as a woman.

An unconventional book, in which little is learned about SEALs (Chris seems to have been specialized in the use of mini drones), but a lot about biological and cultural gender (Sex and Gender). The story of a radical self-discovery that deserves our respect.

“Warrior Princess A U.S. Navy SEAL’s Journey to Coming out Transgender” by Kristin Beck and Anne Speckhard, Advances Press, 2013, 264 pages. The paperback is available in bookstores or on Amazon for 29.90 euros. The book costs for the Kindle 9.21 euros.