Ousted trans colonel, Bree Fram, runs for US Congress

Retired Space Force Colonel Bree Fram, who was pushed out of uniform under President Donald Trump’s trans military ban, has launched a campaign for the US Congress - seeking to become only the second openly trans member of the House of Representatives.

Fram - a retired astronautical engineer and former Space Force colonel with more than two decades of service - announced her candidacy on 20 January, filing in Virginia’s 11th congressional district. Her campaign comes after she was forced into retirement under the administration’s policy that bars trans people from serving in the United States armed forces.

Fram had a distinguished career, rising through the ranks of the Air Force and later the Space Force, where she was the highest-ranking openly trans officer in the US military. She came out publicly as a trans woman in 2016 and continued to serve through periods of shifting policy on trans service members. 

However, following President Trump’s Executive Order 14183, which reinstated a broad ban on trans military service, Fram was placed on administrative leave and ultimately compelled to retire in 2026. The ban has forced many trans troops out of uniform, prompting retirement ceremonies and protests from advocates and lawmakers alike.

Fram’s campaign highlights the human cost of recent military policy shifts. She has criticised the ban as discriminatory and detrimental to both service members and national defence - emphasising her belief that those who have served honourably should be allowed to continue doing so. 

Her bid also frames a broader political debate about civil rights and representation in the US. If successful, she would follow Delaware’s Sarah McBride, the first openly trans member of Congress, extending the growing, though still small, number of openly LGBTQ+ elected officials in federal government.

The Trump administration’s transgender ban has spurred legal challenges and political responses. Civil rights groups have sought court orders to block the policy, arguing it violates constitutional protections, while some lawmakers have introduced legislation to protect transgender service members and prevent discrimination based on gender identity.