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<\/a><\/p>\nBorn in 1974, Taya Renee Kyle was born and raised in Portland Oregon. Her life changed forever in 2013 when her husband US Navy Seal Chris Kyle<\/a> was killed.<\/p>\n The mother of two has remained a strong presence in the media following the release of the movie American Sniper which was released in 2014. Since then she\u2019s been a very strong activist for veteran\u2019s issues and she\u2019s continued to support the rights of gun owners.<\/p>\n Following her husband’s murder, Taya has given speeches and talks addressing his service and veteran’s issues at numerous venues as well as appeared on news networks such as\u00a0<\/em>CNN<\/a><\/em>. She is an advocate for women and families who have lost family members while serving in war. In August 2013, the state of\u00a0<\/em>Texas<\/a><\/em>\u00a0enacted the Chris Kyle Law (SB162), which was created to “expand the effort to help ease employment challenges for active duty military members and their spouses”. At the ceremony, Kyle stated, “I hope that by incorporating these changes into current Texas law we can honor the legacy of Chris Kyle and the many like him.” <\/em><\/p>\n In 2014, Kyle founded the\u00a0Chris Kyle Frog Foundation\u00a0as a touchstone for veterans and their families. The foundation’s mission is to “serve those who serve us by providing meaningful interactive experiences that enrich family relationships”.<\/em><\/p>\n In May 2013, former\u00a0<\/em>Minnesota<\/a><\/em>\u00a0governor\u00a0<\/em>Jesse Ventura<\/a><\/em>\u00a0brought a defamation suit against Taya Kyle for $1.3 million. The lawsuit was continuation of an original lawsuit filed in 2012 against Kyle’s husband, over a statement made in the book\u00a0American Sniper.\u00a0In the book’s chapter titled “Punching Out Scruff Face”, Chris Kyle stated he had punched a celebrity he called “Scruff Face” for saying the SEALs “could afford to lose a couple” in war. Ventura won the lawsuit as the result of an 8 to 2 jury decision.<\/em>[12]<\/a><\/sup><\/em>\u00a0An appeals court threw out the lawsuit in June 2016. <\/em><\/p>\n Clint Eastwood<\/a><\/em>\u00a0directed the feature film\u00a0<\/em>American Sniper<\/a><\/em>\u00a0in 2014, based on the life of Chris and Taya Kyle. Taya Kyle was involved in the making of the film, working with the film’s screenwriter\u00a0<\/em>Jason Hall<\/a><\/em>, and she was portrayed by\u00a0<\/em>Sienna Miller<\/a><\/em>. The film, released by Warner Brothers nationwide in January 2015, was nominated for six\u00a0<\/em>Academy Awards<\/a><\/em>, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay.<\/em>[14]<\/a>[15]<\/a><\/sup><\/em>\u00a0It won the\u00a0<\/em>Academy Award for Best Sound Editing<\/a><\/em>. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n What most people don\u2019t know about Taya Kyle is that she has strong connection to Oregon because her father Kent Studebaker is also the mayor of Lake Oswego.<\/p>\n Besides her activism work, Taya has also stayed busy in recent years appearing on several television shows in the United States including American Elements, Fox News and she\u2019s also been a judge for the Miss America pageant.<\/p>\n During the 2016 election year, Taya Kyle was also visible in political circles, frequently supporting conservative candidates and she met with former President Barack Obama to discuss gun control issues.<\/a>Activism<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
<\/a>Strong Connection to Oregon<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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