UJ
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The highest-ranking admiral in the US Navy passionately supported a non-binary sailor on Tuesday as criticism mounted from Republican representatives, expressing that he feels “especially proud of this sailor.”
The sailor, LTJG Audrey Knutson, recently shared their experience on the Navy’s Instagram account. In a brief video, Knutson remarked on their pride in serving as non-binary, particularly given that their grandfather served in the Navy as a gay man during World War II. Last fall, while deployed on the USS Gerald R. Ford, Knutson noted that a memorable moment for them was reading a poem to the entire ship at an LGBTQ spoken word night. The post received almost 17,000 likes.
Following this, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, posted a clip from the video with the message, “As China gears up for conflict, this is what our US Navy is concentrating on.” On Tuesday, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, criticized the video further, stating that he had “significant concerns” about it during a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting.
However, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday stood by the sailor, highlighting that it’s the responsibility of commanding officers to foster a strong warfighting team.
“Here’s why I’m especially proud of this sailor,” Gilday shared during the hearing. “Her grandfather served in World War II and was gay, facing ostracism within an institution she not only joined, but is proud to be a part of. She voluntarily deployed on the Ford and is expected to do so again next month when the Ford sets sail.”
While Gilday used female pronouns for Knutson, the Navy informed UJ that Knutson identifies with non-binary pronouns.
“We invite individuals from diverse backgrounds and walks of life to join us,” Gilday stated, “and it is the duty of a commanding officer to create a cohesive warfighting unit that operates within the law, which mandates our ability to conduct sustained maritime operations. The trust a commanding officer cultivates in their unit must be founded on dignity and respect. Therefore, if a person can legally enlist in the United States Navy, is eager to serve, and is prepared to take the same oath as you and I to risk their lives, then I am proud to stand alongside them.”
Some Republican legislators have criticized the military for allegedly being overly “woke,” suggesting that this is partially responsible for low recruitment numbers, despite a recent Army survey indicating that only 5% of potential recruits expressed concerns about “wokeness.”
Last month, Republican Rep. Cory Mills and several others criticized the Defense Department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion training during a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing on military personnel. Mills remarked, “We can unquestionably outperform our adversaries in using pronouns, and I assure you that China and Russia are quaking in their boots over this.”
In response, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gil Cisneros stated that training on diversity and equal opportunity has been part of the military for many years.
During a separate hearing in early March with military leaders, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston emphasized that the military’s primary focus remains on combat effectiveness, even when incorporating additional training on diversity and inclusion.
“In basic training, there is one hour of equal opportunity training, compared to 92 hours of rifle marksmanship training,” Grinston pointed out at the time. “For those in [One Station Unit Training], there’s 165 hours of rifle marksmanship training with just one hour dedicated to equal opportunity training.”
