Ok – Kristin is much younger so I get that part, but Bruce is 65 years old. But who am I to talk, I have no idea what it would feel like to know you were born in the wrong body. It must take an awful lot of courage to come out, and then to finally go through with it.
Kristin came out in 2013 with a TV documentary titled: “Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story.” Not only has it generated quite a buzz in the LGBT community, it brings new awareness and re-ignites the national debate on transgender issues. About 20 different ribbons once covered his chest including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. She still wears some of the medals; the only difference is she is now a woman with breasts.
When I first heard the story, I did have a humorous thought – I imagined Kristin on a first date with a macho Redneck type of guy and at one point the guy says, “Listen b _ _ _ _, we’re going where I wanna go.”, and Kristin says in a sweet high pitched voice, “Excuse me, what did you say!” Then all you see is the guy being ejected from the driver’s seat right out the passenger side window. I think in the documentary, she said you may want to think twice before you pick a fight with her. Kristin was with SEAL Team 6 – the same group that took out Bin Laden.
Bruce Jenner too was a fine physical specimen, an Olympian athlete at the top of his game who embodied the essence of masculinity. But there have been recent sightings of Jenner with longer hair, his nails painted red, and appearing to have more refined facial features. The reality TV dad of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” has 6 children, and allegedly made his decision to become a woman over a year ago. There’s an upcoming special hosted by Diane Sawyer where she does an in depth interview with Jenner.
It’s interesting to note that both of these individuals defined their early years with ‘manly’ endeavors: Bruce with the highly competitive athletics of Olympian track & field, and Kristin with the brutal selection process in joining one of the most feared and respected elite special forces in the world. She had a 20- year career in the military.
Will they be attracted to men once the transformations are complete? Are they heterosexual? Were they before? My guess is yes, since Bruce was married 3 times and I think Kristen was married too.
I said it must take an awful lot of courage to come forward this way. Why?
While she has received a lot of encouragement and praise for her decision, Kristin Beck has also received a lot of hate mail and people wanting to do her harm. She has received numerous death threats. And people saying she should be put to death. Bruce Jenner will experience the same treatment. They will be ostracized by large segments of society and seen as freaks. I’m sure it was, and is, the same for Chaz Bono and others who belong to this most exclusive minority. Social change and acceptance comes painfully slow.
With passion and hope, P. W.
