A video from the U.S. Navy that teaches sailors to cultivate a “safe space for everybody” by using pronouns that reflect one’s preferred gender identity has gone viral on social media, prompting many to question whether it has anything to do with protecting the country and winning wars.
“Using the right pronouns is a simple way to affirm someone’s identity,” Rozon says in the video. “It is a signal of acceptance and respect.”
The two move on to discuss the importance of using “inclusive language” to make the Navy a “safe space for everybody.” For example, “Hey everyone,” or “Hey team,” is a more inclusive alternative to “Hey guys,” according to Rozon.
“Another way that we could show that we’re allies and that we accept everybody is to maybe include our pronouns in our emails or, like we just did, introduce ourselves using our pronouns,” Vasquez says. She adds that one should never pressure others for their pronouns.
They also teach viewers how to respond when someone is “misgendered.”
“I think the first thing to recognize is that it’s not the end of the world. You correct yourself and move on, or you accept the correction and move on,” says Vasquez. “The most important thing I can tell you is do not put the burden of making you feel good about your mistake on the person that you just misgendered.”
Criticism and Mockery
The video immediately drew criticism and mockery when it was posted on Monday to Twitter by Washington Free Beacon, with many users ridiculing the concept of a “safe space” in the military and expressing concerns that the Navy prioritizes woke politics over combat readiness.“This is the story of a soldier who operates your nation’s Patriot missile Defense Systems. It begins in California with a little girl raised by two moms,” a woman, later identified as Cpl. Emma Malonelord, says as the video begins. Emma adds that when she was six years old, “one of my moms” was left paralyzed in an accident but had managed to recover, “eventually standing at the altar to marry my other mom.”
Emma, praising her lesbian parents as “powerful role models,” says she joined the Army after college because she “needed my own adventures, my own challenge,” and “a way to prove my inner strength and maybe shatter some stereotypes along the way.”
Comparing Recruitment Ads
The ad’s apparent lack of masculinity traditionally associated with the Army also prompted some to create comparison videos, in which “Emma” is placed side-by-side with military recruitment ads from other countries, including Russia.“To know yourself is to know the limits of your abilities. To hell with limitations,” the narrator says in Russian. “Are you ready to break yourself, every day? Here pain makes you stronger, scars are a daily occurrence. Here you decide to prove something to yourself.”
The Epoch Times reached out to the Defense Department and Defense Media Activity for comment.
