Colonel Bree Fram, one of the highest-ranking transgender military officials, has delivered a defiant message after being placed on administrative leave from her Pentagon post. Her removal comes as President Trump's reinstated ban on transgender service members begins implementation across the armed forces.
According to Daily Mail, Fram posted on Instagram Friday announcing she had been "officially placed on administrative leave, effective tomorrow, pending separation" following the Supreme Court's decision allowing the transgender military ban to proceed. Fram, an astronautical engineer in the US Space Force, had been serving as the Pentagon's division chief for requirements integration.
In her emotional social media post, Fram described her final day in uniform, writing that "the last salute broke my heart in two and the tears flowed freely" after pinning medals on three service members. Despite the personal setback, she expressed gratitude for her military career, calling it "the honor of a lifetime to serve this nation and defend the freedoms and opportunities we have as Americans."
Fram came out as transgender in 2016 when the initial ban on transgender troops was lifted during the Obama administration. Her Instagram profile picture features a rainbow version of the Space Force logo, symbolizing her advocacy for LGBT service members.
In her farewell message, Fram detailed the day she revealed her gender identity to colleagues, recalling how teammates responded by shaking her hand and saying, "It's an honor to serve with you." She experienced a similar reaction last week when announcing her departure at a joint staff meeting, describing how senior leaders, including admirals and generals, approached her with the same words, "now tinged with the sadness of past tense."
Prior to her removal, Fram had been posting profiles of transgender service members on social media, highlighting their accomplishments with the tagline "Happens to Be Trans." In comments to Stars and Stripes, she explained that her recent work focused on "defining the future capabilities that we're going to need to win wars far into the future," underscoring the professional expertise being lost through the policy.
The Supreme Court's decision in early May allowed Trump's ban on troops with gender dysphoria to stand, lifting a lower court's pause on the policy. This emergency ruling enables the Department of Defense to continue removing transgender service members while legal challenges proceed in lower courts.
President Trump signed an executive order on January 20 directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to implement the ban on "individuals with gender dysphoria" serving in the military. Initially, District Judge Benjamin Settle in Washington state had ruled the ban violated constitutional equal protection guarantees and barred its enforcement.
After the Trump administration's appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court was rejected, they took the case to the Supreme Court, arguing the lower court ruling was "contrary to military readiness and the Nation's interests." The Supreme Court's decision was not signed, though liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated they would have ruled against Trump.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated the Supreme Court's decision, stating: "Another MASSIVE victory in the Supreme Court! President Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth are restoring a military that is focused on readiness and lethality – not DEI or woke gender ideology."
The Defense Department's February 26 policy details that "the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service." This represents a reversal of President Biden's 2021 executive order that had overturned Trump's initial ban.
Commander Emily Shilling, who along with six other transgender service members challenged the order, stated during an April appearance at the LGBT Community Center dinner: "I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. That oath requires obedience to lawful orders. But when an order undermines the very principles I swore to uphold, I have the responsibility to challenge it."
Colonel Fram's situation highlights the personal impact of the policy change on thousands of transgender military personnel. As one of the most visible transgender officers, her removal signals the beginning of what could be widespread separations from service.
In her Instagram post, Fram emphasized her commitment to speaking for fellow transgender service members who lack her platform. "It is almost a duty and an obligation to speak on their behalf because it is my privilege to do so and to hopefully represent transgender service members well that do not have the privilege that comes along with the rank and the experience that I do," she told Stars and Stripes.
The Pentagon's February memo also ordered a pause on gender-transitioning medical procedures for active duty service members and halted new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria. Trump and Hegseth have maintained that the extra care required for transgender service members undermines military readiness, a position rejected by advocacy groups and affected personnel.
