The Air Force will allow members to put their preferred pronouns in their electronic signatures to become more “inclusive,” despite some denouncing the move as “a joke.”
Air Force members can use the pronouns he/him, she/her, or they/them in their signatures during military correspondence, according to the Stars and Stripes. Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones applauded the changes in a statement on Monday, stating that “an inclusive force” is a “mission-ready force.”
However, the move was denounced by some as “ridiculous.”
“In an effort to overtake the Navy as the most ridiculous military branch, the Air Force has now started putting pronouns in official document signature blocks. What a joke,” columnist Kurt Schlichter said in a tweet. “We will lose the next war. And that’s no joke.”
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On Dec. 9, the Air Force released a memorandum instructing how to close out signature blocks in electronic correspondence, including guidance to “Be INCLUSIVE—remember our diverse force.”
“Sometimes we inadvertently exclude members of our audience by falling into communication traps involving references to race, religion, ethnicity or sex,” the memo advised. “Knowing your audience and adhering to good taste and sensitivity will keep you in check.”
The use of preferred pronouns in email signatures was “authorized but not required,” according to the memo.
U.S. government entities have been taking steps toward recognizing gender preferences in recent months. In October, the State Department announced it would recognize the pronouns “ze/zir/zirs” in celebration of International Pronouns Day, and on June 30, the department said it would allow citizens to select their genders on U.S. passports, regardless of documentation.
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Military branches have also been accused of “wokeness,” with the Army releasing a recruitment ad in May featuring a lesbian wedding. The CIA was similarly criticized weeks earlier for its recruitment ad profiling a “cisgender millennial.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Air Force for a statement but did not receive a response.
