The US Air Force Academy hosted a speech by Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram, the highest-ranking openly transgender military officer, on leadership and inclusion.
Fram is an activist for transgender issues in the military and led the Department of the Air Force LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team.
At the event, Fram argued for embracing diversity and inclusion, saying transgender people should be allowed to serve if they can contribute intellectually.
Fram urged military leaders to support “marginalized communities” and advocate for left-wing issues.
Some view Fram and the military’s promotion of diversity training as politicizing the armed forces, which coincides with recruiting shortfalls as the military misses goals.
“Inclusion takes action, inclusion requires asking, inclusion requires understanding, and it is more work, it is a lot more work for a leader but I need you to be willing to do it,” Fram said. “In the future, we are going to fight and win war with brain power, and if those brains happen to be in a trans body … you should want them serving alongside you. Because they might be the ones that revolutionize the way we fight in space, in cyber or in any other domain of war.”
“While I don’t have a crystal ball, I can look out and say, ‘Well, either next year things will be great or I will be fighting for my ability to continue serving,’” Fram said.
An Air Force spokesman defended Fram’s speech and said the academy recognizes people can change their sex, viewing intentional misgendering as potential discrimination.
“Her talk reinforced the value of diversity within our military and the importance of removing unnecessary barriers to service,” the spokesman said. “Col Fram has had a distinguished career in both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force and has used her experience and leadership to support our warfighting mission as well as inclusion within the Armed Forces.”
“Consistent with DoD and DAF policy, yes, the U.S. Air Force Academy recognizes that an individual’s internal or personal sense of gender may not match the individual’s sex assigned at birth,” the spokesman said, adding that “intentional misgendering of an individual may be considered harassment or discrimination under our Equal Opportunity policies.”
Fram has advocated for transgender inclusion as a national security issue and celebrated policy changes within the military.
“We must focus on … intentional inclusivity,” Fram said adding, “For all of you out there, I ask you to set out your symbols of pride, share your pronouns in your email, particularly if you’re a person who doesn’t think they need to, initiate difficult conversations about racial and gender barriers, and share a bit of your vulnerability in a way that draws others in.”
“Remember that we mark Pride not beginning with a celebration, but with a riot,” Fram said. “I’m not asking you to pick up your bricks, but I am asking you to pick up your ideas about how we can be a more inclusive service.”
