How America’s ‘Rainbow’ Military Celebrated This 4th Of July Weekend

The U.S. Military Celebrates LGBT Diversity Amidst Independence Day

While millions of Americans were coming together to celebrate the nation’s founding, the U.S. military took to social media to commemorate LGBT-themed “diversity.” These posts sparked controversy and discussion.

A Journey of Self-Acceptance

One of the incidents occurred on Sunday when the Defense Department’s official Twitter account shared an article about U.S. Army Maj. Rachel Jones, a transgender female. The agency praised Jones for her resilience and described her journey of self-acceptance.

In the attached article, Jones shared the risks she took to be true to herself, especially during the Trump administration when transgender individuals were not allowed to openly serve in the military. Thanks to President Joe Biden’s executive order, Jones was able to come out publicly as transgender.

“People here have been amazing. I know how lucky I am to work in an organization with such acceptance and everyone here has been really supportive,” Jones said. “I was initially a bit fearful of coming out as my true self and how I would be perceived, but I had nothing to worry about.”

To celebrate “pride month,” Jones also recorded a video emphasizing the strength of diversity in the nation and the Army.

Embracing Inclusion in the Navy

The U.S. Navy also joined in on promoting diversity. They shared two separate Instagram clips highlighting the importance of removing barriers for LGBT service members’ total inclusion in the fleet.

Rear Admiral Mike Brown stated that it is necessary to ensure the Navy gets the best from the 6 to 10 percent of the force that identifies as LGBTQ+. He emphasized the importance of inclusivity and recognizing the diverse force within the Navy.

It’s worth mentioning that both the Army and Navy are expected to miss their recruiting goals for the 2023 fiscal year.

A Push for “DEI” Ideology

Since President Biden’s inauguration, the Defense Department has been pushing for military leadership to adopt the “DEI” ideology, which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. This ideology has sparked controversy as it dismisses merit and promotes discrimination based on characteristics like skin color and sexual preferences.

Last month, the Air Force used taxpayer money to cover travel costs for service members attending “pride” events. Several Air Force bases also held LGBT-related events on their grounds.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. His work has been featured in numerous outlets. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood