It’s been a few months since the discussion of President Donald Trump’s memorandum concerning active service transgender individuals serving in the military. But here at Ohio University, the conversation is still happening.
Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story, will be screened at the Athena Cinema at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“I would like to hear the story,” Sarah Longfellow, a freshman studying music production, said. Longfellow is one of many people interested in attending the screening and discussion of the film.
The film centers on the life of Kristin Beck, a transgender woman and former Navy SEAL. Beck served as a member of SEAL Team 6 for more than 20 years and retired in 2011. In 2013, she came out as transgender. The film tells Beck’s story and includes interviews of her friends and family, as well as footage of Beck training as a Navy SEAL when she still used the name Chris Beck.
The film is sponsored primarily by the LGBT Center, but is being co-sponsored by the women’s, gender and sexuality studies department, the Office for Multicultural Student Access and Retention, Alden Library, the Multicultural Center, the Veterans Center, the Women’s Center, Athena Cinema, Critical Studies, Diversity Studies, Cutler Scholars, the Honors Tutorial College, the LGBTQA Commission of Student Senate and Athens Center for Film and Video.
“Films can generate a lot of conversation and insight in very accessible, easy ways,” delfin bautista, the director of the LGBT Center, said.
The screening and discussion will be a means for the center to address the possible ban on transgender individuals participating in the military, said bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name. On Oct. 30, a federal judge partially blocked the enforcement of several provisions of the memorandum.
Janelle Strom, a freshman studying English, said it would be interesting to watch a film featuring a new perspective on a topic not frequently discussed.
"It would be nice to see the viewpoint of someone with that experience," Strom said.
Kat Moses, a freshman studying English, said she would be interested in seeing the film because it could be an eye-opening experience.
“I think everybody should be allowed to serve our country,” Moses said.
The LGBT Center frequently hosts events both in its on-campus office at Baker Center 354 and at other locations around campus. It prides itself on inclusivity and supports individuals identifying as LGBT.
Longfellow, who identifies as genderqueer and uses they/them pronouns, said it would be interesting to hear the experiences of another individual who does not identify as cisgender, which refers to individuals who identify as the biological sex they were assigned to at birth.
“I think more and more we are starting to become aware of how certain issues impact the trans community,” bautista said. “We’re still not talking about it on a larger level and so, I think we still have a lot of work to do.”
