Hegseth ramps up discrimination in the Navy - EUROPE SAYS
Under orders from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the U. S. Navy is set to adopt a rule that would allow Black soldiers to be purged simply because of their facial hair. Currently, the Navy issues permanent. . .
Under orders from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the U. S. Navy is set to adopt a rule that would allow Black soldiers to be purged simply because of their facial hair. Currently, the Navy issues permanent shaving waivers to members with certain skin conditions caused by shaving, especially a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly known as razor bumps. This is a condition that disproportionately affects the Black population, with studiesestimatingthat between 45% and 83% of Black men suffer from it. But Hegseth’s new rulewould allowthe dismissal of service members who continue to show signs of the affliction after a year of medical treatment. The Navy is also forcing members currently exempt from grooming standards based on religious observance to reapply, meaning their approvals would be reviewed under the Trump administration’s bigoted approach to religious freedom. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in 2025. APLast year, the Armyinstituted similarly exclusionary policiesas Hegseth ranted in a speech in South Korea that “no beardos” would be allowed in the armed forces on his watch, underliningthe exceptional bigotryof the administration. Ina letter to Hegsethlast October, a group of over 40 Democratic representatives slammed the change in policy. “Punishing troops for this condition that is beyond their control is not necessary for the effectiveness of the military, but it certainly undermines equity and fairness by creating a policy that disparately impacts minority service members,” they wrote. The hair policy is just the newest front in Hegseth’s push to resegregate the U. S. military. Behind the scenes, hehas blocked military promotionsthat were in progress for several Black and female leaders. And this is not an aberration from his past rhetoric. During his time as a Fox News contributor, Hegseth railed against purportedly “woke” policies in the military meant to increase diversity and protect civil rights. Infamously, he said in 2024, “We should not have women in combat roles. ”Despite these stances—or perhaps because of them—Hegseth was confirmed by the Republican majority in the Senate. Exacerbating discrimination in the military isjust one more waythat Trump has turbocharged his second term with bigotry. He has thrown out longstanding rules meant to protect civil rights while using the power of the government to impose discrimination based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. We’ll get straight to the point: The financial hardships that Daily Kos is facing this year are tough. We continue to be paywall-free. We continue to be supported by our readers, not billionaires or corporations. But we need to bring in more revenue. We are leaning on our community more than ever to help make ends meet. Power matters. Sign up for our daily top stories newsletter so you don’t miss how it’s being used—and what comes next. Tags:DødnavyNewspentagonpete hegsethpetehegsethRacismSecretary of Defense