Interview with Bree Fram

Monika: Today I have invited an inspirational woman. Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram is the President of SPARTA, an organization that advocates and educates about transgender military service and is dedicated to the support and professional development of over 1200 transgender service members. She is currently the highest-ranking out transgender officer in the Department of Defense.

In addition, Bree is an active duty astronautical engineer in the US Air Force. Her writing has been featured in the Washington Post, Military Times, Inkstick, and LGBTQ Nation. She is the co-author of the forthcoming book With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Military Personnel in Their Own Words due out in November 2021. Hello Bree!

Bree: Hello Monika!

Monika: How are you doing in these crazy pandemic times?

Bree: We're getting by, though are concerned with the massive rise in cases of the delta variant. I'm hopeful that someday soon we can reach that magic of herd immunity with enough people getting their vaccines.

Interview with Kristin Beck

 

Kristin Beck, born on June 21, 1966, in St. Louis, Missouri, spent the first chapter of her life living a story that would become legendary in the annals of U.S. military history. Growing up with a deep sense of duty, Beck enlisted in the U.S. Navy, eventually rising to become one of the most decorated and respected Navy SEALs of her generation. For two decades, she served in the elite SEAL teams, participating in over 13 deployments, and carving out a reputation for courage, precision, and an unwavering commitment to the mission. Her military career was marked by feats of extraordinary bravery and skill, but Beck’s personal journey, which she had long kept hidden, was one of even greater complexity. Throughout her time in the Navy, Beck struggled with her identity, silently carrying the weight of being transgender while serving in an environment that demanded toughness and conformity. The world she knew was one of secrecy, stoic strength, and the rigid ideals of masculinity that came with being a Navy SEAL. But beneath the surface, there was an identity that had long been suppressed, one that yearned to emerge.

Interview with Monika Donner

Monika Donner, born on July 11, 1971, in Linz, Austria, has led a life marked by transformation, courage, and an unyielding pursuit of personal and professional excellence. Her journey weaves through the ranks of the Austrian military, the intricacies of legal expertise, the literary world, and the profound realms of self-discovery and advocacy. From an early age, Monika displayed both intellectual brilliance and a deep-seated resilience. She graduated from the esteemed Kollegium Aloisianum in 1989, after which she committed herself to a year of voluntary service in the Austrian Armed Forces. This initial foray into military life set the foundation for what would become a remarkable career, one that spanned the rigid hierarchies of the Bundesheer while also making space for her personal evolution. She continued her service in the militia, embodying both discipline and determination.

Interview with Carla Lewis

Carla Lewis is a woman whose life story is as inspiring as it is complex. Carla is a transgender woman, activist, software engineer, mother of two, grandmother, and U.S. Air Force veteran. She makes her home in East Tennessee, near the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, with her loving partner Jaime. To say that Carla has lived many lives would not be an exaggeration, her journey weaves together resilience, advocacy, creativity, and an unshakable belief in living authentically. Carla’s path has never been easy. Growing up in Arkansas, she carried within her a sense of difference that she could not yet put into words. Later, her dreams of becoming an astronaut led her to the U.S. Air Force Space Command, but her service was cut short when her gender identity was discovered. What might have ended as defeat became the beginning of a longer story, one of survival, rebuilding, and ultimately embracing the woman she always knew herself to be. 

 

Her transition in the late 1990s was marked by loss, heartbreak, and even moments when life itself hung by a thread. Yet Carla’s courage to begin again, to choose truth over silence, became the cornerstone of her new life. Over time, she reclaimed not only her identity but also her family, reuniting with her children after years apart and stepping into the joyful role of grandmother, a role she embraces with warmth, humor, and a touch of playful mischief. Beyond her personal journey, Carla has been an outspoken advocate for transgender rights. Whether through local LGBT community work, online petitions that influenced corporate behavior, or simply standing proudly as herself, she has made her presence a force for change. She understands the dangers transgender women still face, from discrimination to violence, yet she continues to raise her voice for equality and dignity. Carla is also someone who finds joy in creativity and community.