"Transgender Navy SEAL Takes on Huckabee"

RallyPoint Shared Content — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 13:32:47 -0400

From: The Daily Beast

It may have been lost in the epic hubbub that followed Megyn Kelly’s questioning of Donald Trump.

But former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee also stirred controversy at Thursday’s Republican candidates’ debate, albeit more quietly, when he told Fox News’s 24 million viewers that the military did not need to adopt society’s changing acceptance toward transgender people.

The military, Huckabee said at the Cleveland debate, “is not a social experiment.”

“The purpose of the military is to kill people and break things,” Huckabee added. “It’s not to transform the culture by trying out some ideas that some people think would make us a different country and more diverse. The purpose is to protect America. I’m not sure how paying for transgender surgery for soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines makes our country safer.”

Former U.S. Navy SEAL and House congressional candidate Kristin Beck, formerly Christopher Beck, sent a tweet in outrage to Huckabee: “I was the best of the best…I am twice the man that you could ever be!”

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Beck said, “The biggest thing is, Mike Huckabee is running to be the president of the United States, and if you’re going to represent the country, you need to represent everyone.

“Right now he’s being derogatory and disrespectful to a huge part of the nation—with the amount of transgender people in America who have wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. People who understand who we are. [Our population] could go as high as 20 to 25 million people…[These are] people he should be serving, and he doesn’t care about us.”

Beck, who rose to prominence for speaking out about transgender issues and was the subject of CNN’s 2014 documentary Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story, is a 20-year veteran of the special operations community and recipient of the Bronze Star with valor device and Purple Heart.

She is running against Maryland incumbent Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the No. 2 Democrat in the House.

The comments from the former Arkansas governor also spurred criticism from LGBTQIA advocacy groups the Human Rights Campaign and SPARTA, a transgender military service group that advises policymakers within the Defense Department.

Brynn Tannehill, who is the director of advocacy at SPARTA, told The Daily Beast, “Taking care of our troops, transgender or otherwise, only makes our military stronger…since Governor Huckabee has never served, he should leave these decisions to the experts at the Pentagon.”

Huckabee’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

An estimated 15,500 transgender personnel serve in the U.S. armed forces, according to a policy study published in 2014 by the Palm Center.

Huckabee’s viewpoints at the GOP debate are in stark contrast to the Obama administration’s strategy to fully integrate transgender service members.

In July, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said, “We have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines—real, patriotic Americans—who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that’s contrary to our value of service and individual merit,” according to a statement from the Defense Department.

“He’s taking his religion and his personal beliefs and disenfranchising a large portion of the population. And I just think as a leader, you need to put the people ahead of your own feelings sometimes,” Beck said. “Governor Huckabee has no idea what it means to sacrifice. It’s service and sacrifice over your own person. Others above self—always—and he does not understand that.”

Last month, the Pentagon established a military-civilian working group to examine the implications of lifting the ban on transgender service members serving openly and how that would affect operational readiness.

Carter said the group will operate under the assumption that transgender troops can successfully integrate into the military ranks without trepidation.

The six-month study will focus on how hormones affect transgender service members while serving in a warzone, uniform and housing changes, and how medical care is financed.

Under new DoD rules, transgender-related conditions are no longer a precedent for administrative separation. Instead, individual military branches will have the authority to remove presently serving transgender personal for conditions that interfere with military assignments or performance of duty.

Additionally, transgender applicants are barred from entering military service and not granted waivers for transgender-related conditions—a bureaucratic clause that some critics find ironic. Current policy lists being transgender as a paraphilia, along with bestiality and pedophilia. Homosexuality also fell under this category until 1993 and the Obama administration’s ending of the Defense Department’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Despite the polices still needing amendments, Beck believes the DoD is heading in the right direction—she herself is working with both senior military leadership and policymakers.

“I met with a lot of the Air Force leadership that are a part of this policy work, and they are really taking into consideration our needs as transgender persons and bouncing that off operational readiness and costs,” Beck said.

“The pundits fighting this who are really upset about [transgender service members] are the ones with the biggest issues in their heads, because they’re going straight to fetishes or sex and body parts,” she added. “But what they don’t understand is that this is about my identity, this is who I see when I look in the mirror. It has nothing to do with sex.”

Beck added that there was a misconception about surgery and the 15,500 service members in the military who are transgender.

“[In the military], out of the 15,500 people, maybe half those people are not going through surgery for transgender [reassignment],” Beck said. “You have to understand that we [transgender] are on a large scale from someone who gets all the surgery to someone who’s just transgender non-conforming, and it’s all more of an intellectual pursuit or a spiritual thing where they know, ‘This is who I am, this is my identity, and I don’t need to have physical changes in order to put me in that space of what my identity really is.’

“So when they say 15,500, it’s not going to be 15,500 people putting their hands in the air saying, ‘Yeah, I want surgery’ next week.”

The figure of those opting for surgery, said Beck, would be closer to 5,000 people, “where you have female to male and male to female.”

In February, Defense Department officials said that hormone treatment for gender reassignment had been approved for former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, who was convicted of espionage for sending classified documents to the website WikiLeaks.

The decision to allow Manning to undergo the transition to a woman was approved by Army Col. Erica Nelson at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in September 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that Manning was at risk for self-castration and suicide stemming from her depression over not being fully allowed to transition into her gender identity, according to the Associated Press.

The Army’s decision sparked condemnation from some quarters.

Former Florida Republican congressman and retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West’s website said in response to the news, “You’ve heard of ‘white guilt?’ Perhaps it was ‘straight guilt’ that led the Army to take this unprecedented move.”

Manning is serving a 35-year sentence, which she is appealing.

Nevertheless, Beck agrees with the military’s decision to allow Manning to undergo gender reassignment.

“While you are in federal custody or any custody within any prison system, that institution has the responsibility to take care of that person,” Beck said. “So I 100 percent support it, because I think it’s the right thing to do. You have to separate the crime from that person’s human rights when you think about this issue.”

Moreover, Beck applauded Manning’s efforts in “forwarding the thought” for integration of transgender service members in the military, saying, “I think she did a great job…so if we are already [paying for Manning’s hormones and surgery] then we need to look at this entire policy and make sure we take care of people who are serving honorably on active duty. It’s about taking care of people, not hardware. People are more important than tanks and planes, it’s us…your most important asset.”

Still, Beck does not feel Huckabee’s views disqualify him from potentially serving as commander in chief. “You can’t base [his ability to be president] off of one thing,” she said. “It’s like when people look at me and say that I’m transgender and they don’t want me to be in the U.S. Congress based off that, it’s the same thing…it’s just not fair.”

“I would love to sit down with Huckabee and show him I am pretty normal. I might believe in some of the things he believes [in]. We have a lot of the same hopes and dreams for our nation. And if we disagree, that’s OK—disagreements make us better, but in the end, we respect each other in reaching the goal, [which] is prosperity,” Beck said.

“I want my children’s children to have a future and have a good country, which is what I grew up in,” Beck said. “I think we are leaving it worse right now because all we’re doing is fighting with each other.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/11/transgender-navy-seal-takes-on-huckabee.html

Transgender Navy SEAL Takes on Huckabee

Kristin Beck says the former Arkansas governor—who insists the military is ‘not a social experiment’—should fight prejudice, not propagate it.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Aug 11 at 2015 1:37 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 13:37:44 -0400

Truth is stranger than fiction. People can't speak their minds without being chastised.
Transgender was something that was not at the forefront of most people's conscious thoughts a year ago; yet, DoD mandated acceptance of transgender people earlier this year.
Each transgender person is a human being and worthy of respect and dignity; however, when societal mores and values are upended very quickly expect turbulent times for months if not years to come.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Aug 11 at 2015 1:38 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 13:38:31 -0400

Interesting Article. I find it humorous the comment about being more man than Huckabee. Don't think it is really going to matter. Mike Huckabee is not going to be the RNC candidate anyway.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2015 2:07 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 14:07:53 -0400

I'm probably going to "offend" someone here...but I'm beginning to think that's inevitable in any discussion today.

Ok- So a Navy SEAL, obviously one of our most highly trained and capable warfighters, decides to become a woman. First of all, unless there is evidence to the contrary, I'm fairly confident Beck is no longer on active duty...political gamesmanship or not, I doubt Naval Special Warfare is looking to risk the potential physical "unknowns" in an active SEAL team. If so, I don't see that Huckabee's comments are so controversial. We're talking about the readiness and cost issues associated with catering to personal choice...period.

The moral question aside-I admit that I personally find "trans-gender" inclinations to be tragic, confusing and indicative of larger pain/mal-adjustment...the Armed Forces simply aren't geared to cater to this much individuality.

I'm not a medical doctor, nor any sort of "expert" on the physical effects of the treatments, surgeries, or hormone therapies required to go from one gender to the next...but I imagine it is a costly, lengthy, and at times physically limiting process. No disrespect to Beck; looks like he/she could still bring the pain...but what critical abilities are affected; does having breast augmentation change the accuracy of someone whose spent a lifetime shooting without them? Does the replacement of testosterone with estrogen create adverse physiological changes in someone who has only known life as a male? Perhaps I'm out of line, but if female-by-birth sailors would have to overcome BUDS as women...can we objectively comment on the abilities of a person who qualified as a man, now that they are a woman?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2015 2:19 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 14:19:53 -0400

Good points and bad ones. I support transgender equality, but I don't support the surgery or hormone therapy to be fully on a taxpayer's dime. Some sort of co-pay should be required after the first elective surgery. After all, I'm allowed one elective surgery while serving with no cost to myself. After that, though, Tricare leaves me on my own. So when I'm done having kids and want the full mommy makeover, I only get one procedure for free. Maybe two in one, if they're during the same surgical time block. Like breast lift/augmentation, which wouldn't take more than a few hours if the surgeon knows what they're doing and multiple pregnancy/breastfeeding hasn't left me too far gone. But still, gender reassignment requires multiple procedures. That shouldn't all fall on taxpayers for someone's identity or comfort. If nontransgender people don't get that right, transgender shouldn't either.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 11 at 2015 6:59 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 18:59:28 -0400

This is a very real issue which I am not qualified to speak on. It's frankly one of my business. I have enough to worry about in my own life. I just don't have time to worry about what someone else is doing as long as they aren't breaking laws

Response by PO1 Shahida Marmol made Aug 11 at 2015 10:07 PM

PO1 Shahida Marmol — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 22:07:34 -0400

Huckabee voiced his opinion. I don't feel as he said anything disrespectful, just controversial. The military should not be a social experiment. I agree 100% with him. We're already over budget, to accommodate the transgendered population, is going to cost lots of money.

Hormone therapy can greatly effect the individuals who need it. Heck I am a woman and If I get on a birth control that has .10 mg more of estrogen than I'm used too, I get affected by it (along with others).

Will this group of people be placed on LIMDU during their transformation? Will they undergo psychological reviews to make sure they're dealing with everything ok? What happens when they want to be their biological gender again? It does happen.

Response by MSgt Michelle Mondia made Aug 12 at 2015 7:12 AM

MSgt Michelle Mondia — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 07:12:28 -0400

Love her! I hope she runs for public office!

Response by MSgt Michelle Mondia made Aug 12 at 2015 7:29 AM

MSgt Michelle Mondia — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 07:29:39 -0400

Huckabee doesn't realize that a social experiment is exactly what the military is! This what people though about racial integration too...is history not reapeating itself?!
"Cut it out! What The hell's the matter with you? Stupid! We're all very different people. We're not Watusi. We're not Spartans. We're Americans, with a capital 'A', huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts. But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more loveable than the mutt. So we're all dogfaces, we're all very, very different, but there is one thing that we all have in common: we were all stupid enough to enlist in the Mililitary. We're mutants." - John Winger, Stripes

Response by MSgt Michelle Mondia made Aug 12 at 2015 8:10 AM

MSgt Michelle Mondia — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:10:21 -0400

Is exercising their constitutional rights dumb? Is protest dumb? How do you think change is brought about in America? Good thing you didn't work in Alabama in 1965 you may have been stuck behind the Freedom March...I heard that took a while. Good thing the worst part of your day is driving past that area. Imagine living it.

Response by SPC Nathan Freeman made Aug 12 at 2015 8:50 AM

SPC Nathan Freeman — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 08:50:12 -0400

There aren't anywhere close to 20 million transgender in the US. Less than 1% can be considered transgender.

Military healthcare is meant to keep us healthy for the fight, not major elective surgery. They will pay for one plastic surgery but a sex change would take you out of the fight for a significant amount of time. Thus, it is counterproductive to readiness. I couldn't even get braces for my teeth as long as there was a pending deployment .

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Aug 12 at 2015 9:02 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:02:27 -0400

After Trump came out and began his "war on PC" it seems every other candidate is trying to either do the same our out Trump...Trump. Huckabee knows this and he also knows no one's going to take him seriously unless he has something retarded or controversial to say. I would say that many of the Republican candidates have refrained from saying most of the ignorance Huckabee has spewed, and the same with the Democrats. In the end, Huck has an opinion, and if it'll get him some airtime and more of a cult following, so be it. We earned and safeguarded his right to do it.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 12 at 2015 10:58 AM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 10:58:17 -0400

It is important to keep in mind that Transgender people are NOT suffering from a mental disorder, nor are they perverted. They have a characteristic in their Hypothalamus, in the region called BCST that is different than cis-gendered people. This happens in utero, and is generally known to be caused by the hormone levels in the mother and the uterus during gestation. This is no different than a person being born with blue eyes instead of brown. Many factors affect in utero development.

Many questions remain about how transgendered people will be able to serve. That is the role of the process that SECDEF is instituting. My personal opinion is that while transgendered personnel will be allowed to serve, there will be issues surrounding how to deal with those who are in transition, or those who seek a non-binary end-state. Given the shortfalls in DOD healthcare this year, while hormone treatment is cheap and will likely be covered, I suspect that the surgeries and cosmetic procedures needed for transition may not be.

In any case, Huckabee is one of many in the GOP who shout out moral objections, while not following many of the basic tenets of his or any religion. There are a lot of things I could say about this, but you all know what they are, because you've heard me say them before...

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 13 at 2015 5:53 AM

PO1 John Miller — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 05:53:03 -0400

While I normally agree with Senior Chief Beck, I do have to disagree with her when it comes to Manning. That traitor deserves to rot for the rest of his/her life and I don't feel like the DoD should have to pay for gender reassignment surgery for someone who so obviously hates the military.

Response by GySgt Bill Smith made Feb 23 at 2016 2:43 PM

GySgt Bill Smith — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:43:42 -0500

Her combat action ribbon is upside down.

Response by Maj Rob Drury made May 25 at 2016 11:10 AM

Maj Rob Drury — Wed, 25 May 2016 11:10:42 -0400

If more Americans had a clue, Huckabee would be our CIC.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 20 at 2016 11:03 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:03:32 -0400

A friend of mine, who is going through the transition from male to female had the opportunity to meet with Megyn. From what she tells me, Megyn is a great person. I think they got together after a trans-woman committed suicide that had a big impact upon the LGBT community.

Response by PO3 John Wagner made Dec 4 at 2017 10:25 AM

PO3 John Wagner — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 10:25:15 -0500

What a horribly ugly woman this guy made.. He certainly didn't improve his prospects for physical intimacy with the transformation..
Personally I thought it was going to be a "duffleblog" sort of piece until I saw that someone had actually done this. Eeeeeeeeewww!

Response by SPC David Willis made Dec 4 at 2017 10:33 AM

SPC David Willis — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 10:33:46 -0500

TL:DR still a bigger bad ass than anyone not a former SEAL...

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Jan 28 at 2019 4:06 PM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 16:06:14 -0500

Beck cannot use those awards in her backdrop for office. They were earned by Christopher Beck not her...